Access and Provision of Quality Technical and Vocational Education for Sustainable Industrial Development in Kenya

Abstract

echnical and vocational education plays a critical role in acquiring practical knowledge and skills that are vital to industrial development worldwide. Kenya aspires to achieve Vision 2030 by intensifying application of science, technology and innovation in its education system for global competitiveness. To achieve this, Kenya was expected to raise the quality and relevance of education and increase transition rates to technical institutions and universities from 3% to 8% by 2012 with an emphasis on science and technology. However, various challenges such as low enrolments in science and technology departments in technical institutions and universities have slowed down the pace at which this could be achieved. Enrolment in technical institutions is skewed towards academic programmes rather than practical oriented courses. This has denied Kenya the middle level workforce that is important for a growing economy. Secondly, performance in science and technical courses is equally wanting due to rising student/teacher ratio and technical institution being turned into universities or university campuses. This paper, therefore, discusses access and provision of quality technical and vocational education for human resource development and provision of infrastructure, teaching/learning materials and equipment in schools, colleges and universities.