Reforms in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Kenya: Focus on Variables That Influence Sustainable Development

Abstract

The Government of Kenya initiated several reforms in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) subsector to achieve sustainable development. This study sought to identify some variables perceived by key stakeholders to influence sustainable development in the country. The study was premised on Vygotsky's (2018) Constructivism Theory which stresses that knowledge is best gained through the process of reflection and active construction in the mind. The study employed a descriptive survey design. Slovenes’ formula was used to generate a sample of 380 participants from a population of 7,411composed of 1,156 Principals, 6,205 Trainers and 50 Graduates.  Stratified random sampling was used to select 12 TVET principals, 343 TVET trainers and 25 TVET graduates. Questionnaires for principals, trainers and TVET graduates as well as interview schedules were used to collect data. Qualitative data from interview schedules were analyzed thematically while quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study established that the main explanatory variables in decreasing order of magnitude were the provision of skill sets for the labour market requirements (18.0%); coping with rapid technological challenges (16.0), eradication of unemployment (15.0%), implementation of dual training in TVET (14.5%), responsiveness to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at all levels of education (12.5%), and enhanced TVET coordination skills. The key reforms in the TVET include the establishment of the TVETA regulatory body and State Department of TVET as well as the digitalization of work. It is concluded that the Republic of Kenya has initiated appropriate mechanisms of popularizing TVET training as a panacea to attaining sustainable development in the country. The study recommended that given the current emerging positive attitude towards TVET, the Government of the Republic of Kenya through the State Department of TVET should intensify initiatives that promote the establishment of more TVET institutions and carry out resource rationalization in different categories of the sub-sector to ensure equitable distribution of quality education and training for sustainable development in Kenya.

KEYWORDS: Sustainable development, accredited, reforms influence variables Technical and Vocational Education and Training, skills sets, labour market, Kenya.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-6-07

Publication date: May 30th 2024