{"id":147266,"date":"2026-07-20T06:02:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/kiti-urges-tvets-to-align-training-with-industry-to-close-skills-gap\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:02:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:02:55","slug":"kiti-urges-tvets-to-align-training-with-industry-to-close-skills-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/kiti-urges-tvets-to-align-training-with-industry-to-close-skills-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"KITI urges TVETs to align training with industry to close skills gap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kenya\u2019s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes need to urgently embrace modern training approaches and strengthen collaboration with industry if the country is to produce a workforce capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving technological landscape.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) Director Engineer Wabwile Simiyu, technological advancement is transforming every sector of the economy, creating new demands for productivity, innovation and efficiency.<\/p>\n

Engineer Simiyu\u00a0observed that industries are increasingly adopting advanced technologies in manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and building management systems, requiring workers to be versed with up-to-date technical competencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cDigitization is rapidly changing the skill sets needed in diverse fields because employers are searching for human resources with proficiencies in artificial intelligence, automation, big data and collaborative technologies. The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is evolving the physical learning environment, and\u00a0\u00a0we urgently need to accommodate and encourage the uptake of digital skills,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

The Director added that these developments are ushering in unprecedented scientific and technological advances with capabilities to green the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the institute\u2019s public engagement at its main campus in Nakuru, Engineer Simiyu pointed out that to create synergy in the wake of greening the education ecosystem, TVET institutions have to adopt digital innovation, adaptive to deliver intended learning outcomes through digital-driven applications delivery to accelerate creation of green jobs.<\/p>\n

The Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) is a State vocational and entrepreneurship training center operating under the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry. It equips school leavers, artisans, and\u00a0Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) employees with practical, hands-on technical and business skills to foster self-employment and industrial growth.<\/p>\n

The Director challenged TVET instructors to embrace emerging technologies in their pedagogy and to develop skills to enable the youth to leverage opportunities that come with the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions, thus bridging the skills supply and demand gap.<\/p>\n

Engineer Simiyu indicated that Kenyan TVETs need to forge robust linkages and connections with manufacturing concerns and service industries as one way of addressing youth underemployment in the labor market.<\/p>\n

The Director observed that involving industry in the development of technical training curriculum could help to address the shortage of technical skills in the domestic and commercial sector.<\/p>\n

He said allowing technical institutions to spend a large portion of their time in industry will help them gain hands-on experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt KITI, we are committed to ensuring that training offered to our students is strengthened so that what is coming out is what is required in the industry. The common denominator of industrial economies is that they have invested heavily in education systems that strongly emphasize technical skills,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As such, he added, KITI has been able to match the growing demand for new skill sets in a fast-evolving economic environment with the appropriate training models.<\/p>\n

The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified linkages between TVETS, government and private sector as a driver of an advanced industrial manpower base.<\/p>\n

CBET pedagogy requires that trainees spend at least 25 per cent of their time in class and 75 per cent gaining hands-on experience in localized models.<\/p>\n

Engineer Simiyu stated that since 2013, when the Technical Vocational Education and Training Act was enacted, the country has made positive strides in creating the right policy and regulatory environment for technical training.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that this has seen TVET enrolment levels almost double in the past decade, a clear pointer to the pent-up demand for technical vocational training in Kenya.<\/p>\n

He noted that Increased funding, enhanced regulations and robust communication campaigns by the government have resulted in TVET enrolment growing by nearly 300 per cent since 2013.<\/p>\n

This, he added, is attributed to, among others, the reforms in the sector that arose from the implementation of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act of 2013.<\/p>\n

The Director indicated that the establishment of a regulatory body, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), and the Curriculum Development Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) to oversee curriculum development, assessment and certification of programmes, among other efforts, have led to the development of more relevant, market-driven technical courses that aim to equip young people with employable skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cPartnerships with the private sector can address the shortage of skill in the industry, particularly the gaps in training between what is coming out of schools and what we need in the market,\u201d said the official.<\/p>\n

He observed that involving the industry leaders early in the formulation of the curriculum enables them to direct what is needed in training in regard to the evolving technologies.<\/p>\n

Further, he said the disconnect between the industry and TVETS has watered down the value of certifications of the graduates from technical institutions owing to skill gaps when joining the job market.<\/p>\n

\u201cTVET programmes should incorporate Whole Youth Development skills such as entrepreneurship, communication, problem solving, relational skills and time management. Much of the current TVET curriculum prioritizes students developing technical skills over soft skills,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His concerns come at a time when most tertiary colleges and national polytechnics have been converted to universities where more graduates than skilled artisans in crucial areas are being trained.<\/p>\n

Engineer Simiyu informed TVET students that Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) is now recognizing certificates issued to informally trained artisans and professionals who pass practical tests conducted by various authorities.<\/p>\n

Under the new arrangement, the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examination Board (KASNEB), Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) issue academic certificates based on practical performance as opposed to written examinations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis effectively means that a tailor, carpenter, mechanic, sculptor or a plumber who has never sat in a formal classroom at a Technical Educational and Vocational Training Institute (TVET) may be issued with a recognized certificate just as his counterparts who have undergone years of formal training,\u201d explained the Director.<\/p>\n

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The post KITI urges TVETs to align training with industry to close skills gap<\/a> appeared first on KBC Digital<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kenya\u2019s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes need to urgently embrace modern training approaches and strengthen collaboration with industry if the country is to produce a workforce capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving technological landscape. According to Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) Director Engineer Wabwile Simiyu, technological advancement is transforming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147266\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}