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State targets 2 million TVET trainees as enrolment doubles
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.
The government is increasingly placing its bets on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions as the answer to youth unemployment and skills shortages.
As part of the plan, the government aims to increase enrolment in TVET institutions to two million, even as public universities grapple with mounting debts, funding shortfalls and questions over sustainability.
The plan was revealed by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki in a speech read by Education CS Julius Ogamba during the opening of the Fourth International Research Conference at Kabete National Polytechnic.
“When this administration assumed office, enrolment across TVET institutions stood at about 341,000 trainees. In less than three years, that number has risen to more than 718,000. We are working towards increasing the enrolment to two million,” said the Deputy President.
The ambitious target signals a major shift in Kenya’s education policy, with the government increasingly positioning technical training as a pathway to employment, industrialization and economic growth.
Mr Ogamba said the country can no longer rely solely on academic qualifications but must equip young people with practical skills that match changing labour market demands.
“We have resolved that we shall not be spectators in the global contest for skills. We have positioned ourselves as a supplier of talent, innovation and practical solutions, first to our own economy and thereafter to the wider world,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when Kenya continues to battle high levels of youth unemployment despite a growing number of graduates entering the labour market every year.
The government’s strategy is anchored on the belief that technical skills will become increasingly valuable as industries evolve and global demand for skilled labour grows.
“What lies ahead of us is a future of nations no longer competing on the strength of what lies beneath their soil, but on the skills, the resourcefulness and discipline of their people,” Prof Kindiki said.
The administration argues that emerging technologies, climate action initiatives, renewable energy projects, e-mobility and the digital economy are creating opportunities that require technical competencies rather than traditional academic credentials.
He noted that advances in artificial intelligence, automation and robotics are rapidly reshaping the world of work, warning that countries that fail to invest in skills development risk being left behind.
“While advances in Artificial Intelligence, automation and robotics are rapidly disrupting traditional careers and reshaping labour markets, the global transition towards greener economies has created millions of sustainable employment opportunities,” he said.
To support the expansion, the government has invested in training infrastructure, recruited additional trainers and established technical institutions across the country.
He said the government has aligned training programmes to industry demands, introduced the dual training model, operationalised the Recognition of Prior Learning framework and invested in modern equipment in training institutions.
The DP further observed that education funding has increased significantly over the past three years.
“To enhance access to technical training, we have significantly reduced the cost of training. The government has further raised the budget allocated to the education sector from about Sh544 billion to over Sh702 billion,” he said.
However, while enrolment figures continue to rise, questions remain over whether the labour market can absorb the growing number of youths graduating from TVET institutions.
Employers have previously raised concerns about skills mismatches, while economists have warned that training alone may not solve unemployment without corresponding growth in industries capable of creating jobs.
The government is seeking to bridge this gap by transforming TVET institutions into centres of innovation and enterprise.
“Our Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions have a unique opportunity to transform research findings and student innovations into commercially viable products, services and enterprises,” said Mr Ogamba.
He revealed that the government is facilitating the establishment of cottage industries within TVET institutions to allow trainees to manufacture market-ready goods, commercialise innovations and generate income.
The Kenya Kwanza administration is also banking on major projects such as the Affordable Housing Programme to create demand for skilled artisans including masons, plumbers, electricians, welders and carpenters.
“The programme is therefore far more than a housing intervention but also a training opportunity, an employment platform, a market for local materials and a stimulus to small enterprise,” he said.
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