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The Technical University of Mombasa has been tasked by the ministry of education to lead the tracer study on TVET training. This is due to its longstanding experience in TVET training.

This initiative is part of the ministry of education''''s support for TVET. TVET is viewed as a crucial part of the government''''s agenda 4.

In an interview with K24 TV, TUM Vice-Chancellor Prof. Laila Abubakar reiterated that the research commenced on July 2019 and the findings are expected to be released by December 2019. The research is being conducted on 59 TVET institutions nationwide.

The study focuses on how TVET training is carried out. It is expected to effectively evaluate and analyze the factors affecting the efficiency and relevance of the training provided by the graduates and employers'''' perspective. It will also determine factors inhibiting the employment of TVET graduates as well as making recommendations for improving the employability and competitiveness of TVET graduates. More so, it will develop a versatile database for each of the 59 TVET institutions capturing the graduates'''' data.

"The study will be carried out through interviews. We will be going across the country and potentially meet as many graduates and employers as we can to gather this information. We are calling on all graduates to volunteer information, these are students graduated from 2012 to 2017 to respond to the questionnaires. Also, the employers'''' cooperation is paramount as the study will help institutions develop appropriate curriculums that are useful to the industry." Expounded the Director of TVET- TUM, Dr. Lawrence Mukhongo in a similar interview.

Unlike in the past where Kenyan governments have put much emphasis on university education where theoretical and leadership education is provided. With time, this mode of training proved to be unfit for the current economic systems. The graduates that were assured of formal employment in the ''''90s are now rendered jobless. This has seen more youth get frustrated as the formal sector is unable to absorb all university graduates hence the higher levels of unemployment in the country.

Recently the government did a paradigm shift in the training sector where they invested much in TVET education. This move saw more students take up middle-level skills courses and fewer numbers join the university.

The TVET training entails furnishing students with hands-on skills. Its graduates are expected to employ themselves and others hence the reduction of unemployment menace in the country.

Tags: TUM

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ANANDA DOUGLAS

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