Reduction of the Negative Public perception of TVET in

Kenya

By
Prof. Charles Manasseh M. Ondieki, PhD (Eng. Mng); MSc (Mech. Eng); FIET (K)

Chairman, TVET CDACC

and
Prof. Wilson O. Ogola, PhD (Meh. Eng); MSc (Mech. Eng); FIET (K)
Chairman, TVETA

KEMI CONFERENCE
ON
Rebranding Technical and Vocational Education and
Training (TVET)

May 2016, Nairobi

Abstract:
TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) programs have been in existence in most
African countries including Kenya for decades. But their intended productive and inventive
output of producing readily employable and/or self-employable graduates, and serving as real
economic bail out for the deteriorating African economies is yet to be realized. This worrying
development has culminated in a stigmatization towards the study of the TVET programs in
TVET institutions in Kenya. TVET faces a number of challenges in Kenya; the problems range
from the limited number of technical institutions available in the country, lack of facilities and
materials for training students, inadequate qualified technical trainers or facilitators, limited
number of training institutions for technical trainers and difficulty in career progression to the
negative public attitudes and perceptions towards TVET in general. This paper explores briefly
the historicity of TVET in Kenya, including the tertiary-based TVET institutions (particularly,
polytechnics, Technical Training institutes and Vocational Training Centres). Through in-depth
inquiry, this paper investigates the root cause of the stigmatization and its associated effects on
the nation, the learners and the tertiary-based TVET institutions in such programs. These
challenges confronting TVET and the pertinent issues are discussed, and the paper recommends
ways of addressing them.
Key Words: stigmatization of TVET, TVET programs, TVET institutions, challenges confronting
TVET