TVET sector turns 100: Great shifts have taken place

Not only has 2024 marked Kenya’s TVET sector’s 100th anniversary, but it has also seen one of the greatest shifts ever recorded in the nation’s higher education history.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) 2023-24 intake record shows a larger number of students opting to pursue technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes as opposed to university degrees, which have been the norm in previous years. Moreover, the data also reveals that most of the students joining the TVETs in 2024 are women, according to the TVETA (Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority).

On 29 July 2024, Kenya TVETs celebrated their 100-year milestone with a colourful event at the Kabete National Polytechnic, attended by various TVET heads and stakeholders. During the event, various heads took to the podium to share some of the changes and strides made in the sector that have helped TVETs finally get the respect and recognition they enjoy today.

Changes in job market demands, reduced fee requirements for TVETs, and access to higher education loans for TVETs are some of the key factors that contributed to the influx of students into TVETs. In 2022, the KUCCPS data showed a dip in university enrolment from 452,089 to 448,482, while that of TVETs hit 265,095 from 217,440. The 2023 TVET records stand at 367,925 with 54.6% (200,893) men and 45.4% (167,032) women.

Growth necessitated more skilled workers

To better explain this change, it is important to take a step back and investigate the country’s TVET history.

Kenya’s first TVET was called the Native Industrial Training Depot (NITD), built in 1924 at Kabete in Nairobi. The institute was built primarily to produce skilled manpower that would eventually be used for the construction of the East African railway. The institution trained students in vocational subjects such as welding, electronics, masonry and auto repair.

When the country finally achieved its independence in 1963, there was even more need for skilled manpower, a fact that saw the rise of technical training institutes. These are the people who would provide the skilled labour that built the country from the ground.

It is also important to note that, during their inception, TVETs were mainly focused on skills that were predominantly ascribed to men. It was not until later that they started adding more programmes that were attractive to women.

As the country continued to grow and evolve, there was also a need for other major sectors of a fast-growing economy such as engineering, architecture, law, medicine, education and banking. These sectors, however, demanded a higher level of education, a fact that made university degrees attractive, hence relegating TVET programmes to a lesser value.

TVET stigma is disappearing

Currently, to qualify to join a university in Kenya, you are expected to attain a mean grade of at least a C+, while TVETs will require at least a D-. The stigma was evident as university graduates were praised by society and considered overachievers who belonged in the corporate world, while those at TVETs were seen as failures.

The TVETA highlights different factors affecting the enrolment of students in any field of study. They include existing stereotypes about the course, successful graduates in the community or role models, the nature of the prospective work environment, the learning environment, and career guidance from experts, peers, or guardians.

According to the TVETA, female enrolment in TVETs had been low, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

A 2021 study conducted on TVET institutes in Kakamega County found that social factors such as societal perceptions, lack of awareness on progression structure, institutional factors such as outdated technology, the lack of role models, poverty levels and policy factors, and a lack of awareness about entry requirements to TVET courses are the key factors that deter women from enrolling in TVET engineering courses.

Skills are now essential

“For decades, most technical and engineering programmes and the learning environment have remained masculine as most of the learning activities are yet to be regulated, automated, or mechanised. The same is experienced in the work environment, thus discouraging female students, as muscles rather than knowledge and skill are required to execute tasks.

“Also, more than 80% of the labour market remains informal and unregulated, thus lacking decent work opportunities. Because of these barriers, the technology and engineering sector has attracted gender stereotypes on the capacity of women to withstand the rigorous technology and engineering studies and labour market-related assignments,” according to the TVETA.

Fast forward 100 years, and there is a new dawn that demands job seekers to be skilled if they want a chance at landing a job in today’s economy. And where else can you get well-skilled and industry-ready workers than in TVETs? The wait was worth it.

“The world has changed a lot, along with the economy, and this demands a person to be skilled in a certain trade to have a chance at employment in the current job market,” said Professor Evans Kerosi, executive director of the Equip Africa Institute (EAI). The EAI is a TVET-accredited arm of Mount Kenya University.

“Technology has done a lot to change how the world works and how people think. AI (artificial intelligence) is currently taking over jobs that required multiple workers in the past – this means that jobs are becoming scarcer every day. Nonetheless, universities are still churning out graduates faster than the current job market can handle, thus leaving a lot of youth jobless,” Kerosi told University World News. “Employers today are interested in a person’s skill set rather than what grade he scored or how many degrees he has behind his name,” he added.

Shortage in Europe creates opportunities

During the anniversary celebration, President William Ruto mentioned the government’s plan to help see thousands of skilled graduates from different institutions travel to Germany and take up various job opportunities.

“Connectivity has made the world more accessible, which means that labour can easily be exported where there is a need. Due to a shortage in the European labour markets, a lot of countries such as Germany, Canada and Australia are opening their borders to foreigners with skills that they need such as in healthcare, ICT, plumbing, masonry, and hospitality,” Kerosi explained. “They will only require a diploma that shows you attained the required skills from a recognised institution.”

Kerosi attributes the recent influx of females joining TVETs to caregiving and nursing jobs that have been in demand both locally and globally over the past decade.

“Nowadays, we see a lot of women travelling abroad to work as caregivers in homes for the elderly or to take care of sick people who need personalised care. And all that is required from them is a nursing diploma,” Kerosi said.

Women just as skilled as men

According to Jackline Nyambura, however, necessity is what drove her to become a motor vehicle mechanic for the Kenya Airports Authority. “With limited job opportunities, women can no longer afford to be picky about what they want to do. I trained on vehicle mechanics at a local polytechnic and, today, I am happily employed as a mechanic in a well-paying job,” Nyambura told University World News.

Samuel Asiago, a trainer at the Kisumu National Polytechnic, agrees that, with the changing times, people can no longer afford to be picky about jobs. “Today, you see a lot of women joining men at construction sites as masons or plant operators and they do their work perfectly. These are trades that they get to learn in TVETs and polytechnics,” Asiago said. “The notion that some jobs are meant for men while others are meant for women will soon be a thing of the past.”

Asiago also applauded the government’s decision to boost the TVET sector by lowering tuition fees and giving students access to government loans. Initially, government study loans were restricted to university students. This, according to him, has played a big role in the increased student numbers.

Top students choose TVETs

“While it is true that TVETs take in students with lower grades compared to universities, it is important to note that people learn differently. There are those people who are book smart, and there are those who prefer learning things practically, and that is where TVETs come in,” he said.

Asiago said he knows a woman who owns a stone-working company that even employs university graduates. “The lady herself graduated from a polytechnic where she studied masonry. Today, we also have top high-school graduates opting to join TVETs rather than universities, as has been the trend in the past,” he added.

Asiago also attributes the appeal of TVETs to tough economic times that force students and parents to opt for cheaper and time-friendly learning options. “A typical TEVT course normally lasts between one and three years, after which the trainee is ready for the job market. This helps them and their families reduce financial burdens,” he said.

The TVETA explains that targeted interventions have raised women’s enrolment in science-related programmes. The number of women enrolled in various science-related programmes has surpassed male enrolment. For instance, in health sciences, women enrolment was 57% (4,571) while, in applied sciences, it stood at 69.5% (9,257). The association added that more women than men were enrolled in agriculture and environmental studies (54.2%), hospitality, institutional management, fashion and design (84.8%), business studies (73.6%), and liberal studies (79%).

In computing and informatics programmes, half the students are women (18,343).

“This is encouraging, as it implies that the interventions and affirmative actions that the government and non-state actors have been putting in place over time are yielding results. The results could also be interpreted to mean that gender stereotyping has been reduced significantly and the barriers that were blocking women from enrolling in science-related courses decreased,” according to the TVETA.

The TVETA intends to help see their women’s intake record become equal to that of men soon.