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FIRST BATCH OF COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM GRADUATE AT TUM

FOURTEEN competency based students trained at the Technical University of Mombasa graduated at a ceremony held at Flamingo Beach Resort in Shanzu on 19th March 2019.

The qualified students for the courses in Instrumental and Control (Stand Alone Controller Inspector) Level 4, and Heavy and Light Machinery Operation (Earthy Moving Equipment) Level 4. were selected by Plan International and sponsored by Germany International Corporation (GIZ).

The students were trained at the Technical University of Mombasa, after having been selected by Plan International. The graduands that participated in the Competency Based Educational Training (CBET) program will be assisted by Kenya Association of Manufactures (KAM) in job placement and will be linked to the industry through a portal.

The model is 3 months internship period per graduate with a mentor attached. KAM facilitates travel logistics, mentorship trainings for supervisors and soft skills training. The industry provides practical skills training opportunities and assign relevant supervisors to mentor the interns. Industries are always free to have as many graduates based on their capacity. The program seeks to improve skills training towards high quality competency-based education and training that is relevant to the needs of the industry.

Dr. Lawrence Mukhongo, Director for Technical and Vocational Educational Training at Technical University of Mombasa, explained that CBET is an educational approach that focuses on providing learners with practical skills and knowledge that enable them to perform the required standards of industry. Dr. Mukhongo emphasized that the model accommodates the educated, people from the informal sector, those from the formal sector, retirees and retrenches, out-of-school youths, and people who have never been to school.

“The Competency-Based Education and Training programmes that have been offered at the Technical University of Mombasa followed the structure that the trainees spend three (3) months in the classroom undertaking theoretical training and laboratory and workshop practice, and three (3) months training at an industry under a mentor. At the end of training, the trainees are awarded certificates of competency in the unit of competency they will have trained. Should the trainees complete undertaking all the units of competency in a qualification, they are awarded a National Certificate in the qualification. National Certificate is awarded upon demonstration of competence in all units of competency in a qualification (course) while Certificate of competency is awarded upon demonstration of competence in a single core unit of competency or a cluster of related units of competency,” he said.

Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Research and Extension (ARE) Professor Peter Gichangi revealed that Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) is in the process of establishing an Institute of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) to handle all matters related to TVET Programmes (Short Courses, Certificate and Diploma) at Technical University of Mombasa. Prof Gichangi reiterated that TUM shall continue to offer quality market driven programs to students in Kenya and Africa at large. He added that TUM will ensure that it delivers graduates who are fit for work.

Roman Gorowoj, the GIZ TVET Technical Advisor, thanked the Technical University of Mombasa for taking up the task of being the first institution in the country to graduate students under the pilot program on CBET approach to training in Instrumentation and Control and Heavy and Light Machinery Operations. He explained that plans are underway to enroll more students to undertake Welding, and Mechanical Technology and Maintenance courses.

The climax of the event was awarding of Certificates of Competence to trainees by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration Finance and Planning), Professor Joseph Rasowo, who commended the students for a job well done. Prof Rasowo called on students in Coast Region and the entire country to take advantage of program to acquire skills and earn a lawful living. Professor Rasowo said that TUM is committed to implementing all TVET programmes using the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) approach and plans were underway to acquire approved curricula from TVET CDACC.

Technical University of Mombasa has also ensured that trainers are trained in the application of CBET methodologies and the trained trainers will afterwards train other trainers within the university across Faculties, Schools and Institutes.

Technical University of Mombasa is willing to work with the industry in rolling-out Work-Based Learning (WBL) which was tested through the apprenticeship Diploma course offered by the Technical University of Mombasa and Base Titanium, the emphasis being training with the industry rather than training for industry.

Tags: TUM

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ANANDA DOUGLAS

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