Deputy Principal Planning, Administration and Finance

It is with pleasure that I welcome you to the Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET). The KSTVET is mandated to train technical teachers/trainers for both public and private educational institutions. In executing this mandate, we have established ourselves as a center of excellence in training highly qualified technical teachers. Over the years, the school has produced many technical trainers and instructors of very high calibre.

However, a major challenge exists: the link between education, training, and employment is weak or nonexistent. This is as highlighted by the following quotation:

“Those of us who know where we are going and can define the path that leads there are in the business of training. Training is akin to following a tightly fenced path in order to reach a predetermined goal at the end of it. Education is to wander freely in a field left and right of this path with a map.” (Rominizoski, 1981)

In a recent library survey entitled “Kenyans are Voracious Readers,” it was found that Kenya has a reading culture, with 85% of Kenyans being avid readers. It is also true that the most progressive industry is education and training. Kenyans are eager to go to school and attain some form of training. However, there is a weak link in the chain; their efforts are not rewarded with employment opportunities in either the formal or informal sectors. This has led to many unemployed but educated people.

My contention is that we have not established a proper linkage between training and work. We know that the Japanese train their citizens in motor industries, and they produce cars. Koreans teach electronics, and they produce televisions and radios. The French teach about the growing of grapes, and they produce wine. The questions we should ask ourselves are: “Why do we train agriculturalists and end up buying food? Why do we train engineers but award contracts to foreigners? Why do we train technicians of all kinds who end up in labour markets in Asia, Europe, and America?”

That’s food for thought.

*Romiszowski, A. J. (1981). Designing instructional systems: Decision making in course planning and curriculum design. London: Kogan Page.