Displaying items by tag: CBET

A promising Solution for Spurring TVET Graduate Employment in Kenya

I recently had a conversation with one of the leading plumbing company executive, who revealed interesting insights on the quality of TVET graduates. Much as he seemed to appreciate the high quality of theoretical learning taking place at TVET institutions, he asserted that most graduates are experiencing significant challenges in aligning to changing labour market needs due to lack of exposure on current technologies, industry trends and requisite 21st century social and soft skills.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that the Government and TVET stakeholders have put a lot of effort to change this trajectory, in various ways, these includes; the implementation of the Competency-based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum, increased communication and advocacy on vocational training, and increased attention to Industry and academia linkages. Such legislated and established policies and initiatives are helping to address this and other gaps.

As has been documented elsewhere, Kenya is experiencing a “Youth Bulge” with over 20.1% of its population aged between 15 and 24 years. The same is reported in most sub-Saharan Africa countries with growth averaging at 19.7%, while the rest of the world is at 16.2%. Statistics also indicate that Kenyans between the ages of 15-34 years account for 84% of the unemployed population. Essentially this means, there is a high youth unemployment rate in Kenya which is bound to increase due to the prolonged economic impacts of the Covid- 19 pandemic. Despite these unemployment statistics, young people continue to leave school to join the unemployed cadre even as the potential of selfemployment through TVET is ignored.

Notably, an additional 5 million youth will be entering the labour market by 2025 making the situation dire. As such more effort is needed to improve the quality of learning in the TVETs and to smoothen the transition of graduates from to work as a strategy for increasing youth employment and economic growth.

 Dual Apprentice System The Dual Apprentice System combines apprenticeship and vocational education – where theoretical instruction in school is combined with practical training in the workplace. With defined periods for academic instruction and defined periods for workplace training. Dual apprenticeship is primarily practiced in Europe, where Germany is leading.

 According to Urban Institute, 2021, Germany in the year 2019 had 1.09 million apprentices who were trained in 327 recognized occupations. With the duration of their apprenticeship taking two and three and a half years, depending on one’s profession. For acceptance into an apprenticeship program, a student applies to their desirable employer who screens applicants and selects them. Essentially, the program in Germany begins as a training contract between an employer and an apprentice. It is similar to a work contract and serves as the legal basis for the in-company training in the Dual VET system. One key aspect of this employer apprentice relationship is that it is supported by the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The chambers in this regard provide a training contract that regulates; the duration of the training, stipulates the beginning and end of the training, the probation time, the vacations, the training content, the training salary, and termination. Other countries whose apprenticeship systems have been recognized include Finland and Switzerland.

To put it into context, the Dual Apprentice System simply means employers participating in training programs. There are several models of dual apprentice training that can be considered. There is the Block Training where there is a prescribed period for training followed by industry experience. Sandwich model where you alternate training and practical work experience within structured duration and Blended model where there is no defined time periods between training and apprenticeship. The main focus is to ensure learning and training goes hand in hand with work experience.

It is noteworthy to mention that Kenya has benefited significantly from investments promoting dual apprenticeships type of trainings, through organizations like GIZ, KfW, World Bank Kenya Youth Employment Program and Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project. However, most of these initiatives are still at the pilot stage with incredible results, laying a solid foundational block for national wide scale-up and ownership.

Wherever dual apprenticeship has taken hold it has proven benefits. The ways in which it has been beneficial include; increased employer participation in training sessions; students have been exposed to current trends, technologies and practices in the industry; there is increased exposure of training institutions to modern pedagogies; an increase in transition rates as well as supporting inclusion of youth with various diverse needs.

Adaptation of Dual apprenticeship to the Kenyan context Dual apprenticeship in Kenya is possible, mainly due to the shrinking formal sector and expanding informal sector.

Additionally, the nascent nature of the Kenyan private sector ecosystem particularly the SME base is a large incentive in itself due to the opportunities that may accrue from adopting dual apprenticeship.

Moreover, the government has made significant investments to facilitate the adoption of dual apprenticeships by providing; public work programs, TVET infrastructure development, reforms in education and training ecosystem, increased investment in large public works and infrastructure projects, increased enrollments to the TVET institutions, and increased adoption of technology especially with the emergence of the 4th industrial digital revolution.

Consequently, Kenya has the potential to leverage on dual apprenticeship to enhance TVET training and employment outcomes. This will require rethinking our approach to training, engagement of industry as well as TVET policy
and regulatory reforms. The Re-Imagined Dual Apprenticeship System – A Fit for Purpose Model for Kenya Re-imagined industry-academia linkage framework  The government of Kenya has put great effort to establish this linkage by adopting the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) at basic level, the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) at the TVET level and industry-aligned training at the university level.

Nonetheless, there is a need to re-imagine an approach that would show how the industry and academia can enhance education and youth employment outcomes. The industry-academia linkage framework needs to be re-imagined through context-specific interventions, with data-driven decisions, that will leverage on - digital technologies, appropriate national, sectoral and industryspecific policies, and putting youth voices at the center stage.

Re-imagined mindset – Trainers, trainee, industry and society
The Dual Apprenticeship System can be quickly adopted in Kenya when a whole society shared-purpose mindset is created and defined targeting trainers, trainees, industry, and society. They have to recognize the need for dual apprenticeship to promote the public good and attract public support and allocate public resources. All primary actors should be involved in revealing any gaps that can be addressed through dual apprenticeship. Benefits of a functional TVET systems permeates in every aspect and part of the society and economy.

Re-imagined role of MSMEs and SMEs
MSMEs and SMEs usually assume that only large corporations and government institutions can participate in a dual apprenticeship. Yet, MSMEs and SMEs typically find it harder than large employers to acquire the skills they need, either because they cannot attract talent from external labour markets, or because they do not have the resources to develop these skills internally through training.

SMEs constitute 98 percent of all business in Kenya, create 30 percent of the jobs annually as well as contribute 3 percent of the GDP.MSMEs contribute 40% of GDP and highest number of jobs. This points to the phenomenal potential these businesses can contribute to dual apprenticeship training system. There is a need for a framework to appreciate their role and contribution in promoting dual apprenticeship.

Re-imagined training delivery approach
A re-imagined training delivery approach is necessary for an impactful apprenticeship. A more personalized approach is essential to ensure each apprentice is well attended to, depending on their unique training needs. Due to the diverse training needs of individuals, a single standardized training method may not guarantee the success of apprenticeship programs. The staff in the training institutions and apprentices’ mentors should be trained on various training and teaching methods to allow them to adapt to the apprentice’s individual needs. Amplified role of private sector in training and quality assurance is also essential.

Re-imagined governance, collaboration and coordination of TVET programs Several stakeholder groups have a legitimate interest in the quality of TVET programs. The greatest challenge has been in the coordination and accountability of such systems. Accordingly, there needs to re-imagine how such system will be governed and coordinated in an inclusive manner.  Multi-stakeholder partnerships will allow the skill systems to be defined by the trainers, government, professional associations and by employers in collaboration with the labour market actors. This will then be implemented by TVET education and training institutions.

Re-imagined role of digital adoption in TVET interventions Several technologies are driving digital innovation through; collaboration on digital technologies, extended reality, ubiquitous computing, artificial intelligence and block chain are major ones. These technologies are enabling new modes of teaching and learning to take place both in and out of the classroom or training centers where content is delivered asynchronously and interactively.

Technology is well suited for the TVET transformational agenda. Notably, these digital technologies need to be deployed in ways that would stimulate young people’s interest in joining technical and technology courses. The idea is to help learners learn collaboratively or individually through a variety of technology enabled methodologies.

Kenya is already ahead of the curve
The uniqueness of Kenya gives it a higher potential of succeeding in dual apprenticeship. Kenya has a thriving private sector and a large base of MSMEs and SMEs. It also making promising reforms in TVET, primarily through CBET, capacity strengthening of trainers and upgrading infrastructure and equipments in TVET institutions. As mentioned earlier, Kenya also has a youth bulge which is considered a “demographic dividend” that can gain heavily
from the system.

With the increased recognition of the importance of TVETs and the shift of Kenya’s economy towards a knowledge and digital based, it is guaranteed that more young people will be willing to join TVET institutions to evade the high
unemployment rates. Yet even for those seeking employment, they will be better positioned to secure employment when they are well trained and better aligned to emerging market needs which is possible through the dual apprenticeship.

Additionally, the adoption of CBET will ensure that the dual system is implemented seamlessly, as such, communication and advocacy for this pairing needs to be articulated more, as this will go a long way to ensure that the country remains ahead of the curve.

Dr. Ehud Gachugu is the
Director Ajira Digital and Youth
Employment Program under
Kenya Private Sector Alliance
(KEPSA)

Since the 2008 financial crisis, academicians, experts and analysts have been studying the effects of disruptions to economies and businesses, world over. A lot of research and writings since then have led to various models which can help leaders prepare, predict and cope with emergent disruptions.  However, 2020 saw a global, almost apocalyptic disruption affect the entire planet. Global education systems were disrupted in a way that only West Africans could comprehend – for they had experienced a similar large-scale disruption during the 2013-2016, Ebola epidemic.

Back here in Kenya, the on-going curriculum reforms has given education policy makers and education institution leaders, a chance to re-imagine how to provide for educational access, equity, quality and sustainability in uncertain times.   During the pandemic, school and institution leaders have become more important than ever. The pandemic has provided education leaders with a global snapshot of the effect a large scale disruption can have on the entire education spectrum.  So, what implications does this current context have for leaders (new and old) as they prepare to lead in uncertain times?

For most leaders managing education institutions in Kenya, the pandemic has forced them to look to the business world to understand the crisis and find quick turn-around solutions.  J. McGregor & A. Harris (2006) posits that the start of ‘...the new century [...] has been characterized by calls for a greater understanding of the processes of knowledge creation and the transfer of practice.’  Yet it took the global shut-down of education systems to make school leaders seek out new knowledge that would help them adapt, and help them redesign their schools for learners. School leaders were forced out of their insular, inward-looking models to embrace collaboration, even us they looked to the business world to help them solve problems and improve their adaptive capabilities. The spotlight turned on the school leaders to provide; direction, hope and reassurance, to learners, teachers, parents and other school employees. For those of us in private education, the challenge was even more daunting, as we were required to ensure learning continued sustainably without diluting quality and whilst still ensuring that delivery was effective.

What happens when school leaders are uncertain?
When a school is staring down the barrel of uncertainty, problems can start adding up even more than usual.  Take the example of Ganttic, a company that specializes in making resource planning processes. In one of their case scenarios they claim, that several things happen when leaders are faced with uncertainty, or when they are uncertain in decisiveness. They say that the following happens;

1. Leaders can make unreliable projections
2. Leaders may fail to give clear timelines
3. It can lead to a lack of resources
4. Which inevitable leads to staff facing a stressful working environment

They conclude by saying, if the school leader is incapacitated by uncertainty and indecision, then inevitably communication issues will arise.

According to Mckinsey & Company (2020), in order to “respond effectively, leaders should act on three imperatives:
a) Clarify purpose,
b) Support stakeholders, and
c) Bolster emotional and organizational resilience.

The ability of leaders to prepare their institutions to ride out emergent disruptions will enable them impact the destiny of their institutions positively, even as they provide opportunities for new entrants.  In fact disruptions allow new leaders to rise from what seems to be impossible situations.  

The rollout of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and the Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) ushers in an era of near-constant change and discontinuity in our education system.  Technology, globalization and emergent factors such as climate change, renewable energy will define and intensify the natural forces of market competition, as well as impacting the shape of the workspace. For us in Education, it is important that we craft and modify our training curricula to accommodate such eventualities, by prioritizing increased post-training employability courses.
 
In this regard, the familiar world is no more, Kenya and Africa at large must adapt or be left behind. The good news is that most of the disruptive technologies, trends and developments we are seeing today have largely worked in favour of African economies. We should explore and harness them to help us leap-frog in to the future. For instance here in Kenya technology like mobile money and mobile banking is changing how people access finance and banking services. These trends are gaining strength and momentum especially when you look at the post-pandemic projections. Most of us fail to realize that the speed and scale of changes taking place, as well as the effects that will result out of this change. Will impact us for a long time, unfortunately we are failing to make reliable projections as Mckinse & Company have posited.

And as the country goes through rapid urbanization and technological disruption, especially at the county level, and when this is paired to impact the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) will have as a result of forming the world’s largest free trade area. Imagine the scope and potential of opportunities for education and training in a post-pandemic scenario, when all the above mentioned changes are fully implemented. The opportunities are endless.

School leaders need to be aware of the full impact of such policy trends. For instance the full implementation of AfCFTA would help private education institutions expand beyond country borders. With this, they would be able to increase their resiliency in the face of future economic shocks. As well as ushering in the need for deeper reforms that are necessary to enhance long-term growth as focus moves to producing a future-proof education system.

Mutheu Kasanga
www.mutheukasaanga.co.ke

REFERENCES
1. (https://www.ganttic.com/blog/list-of-leadership-skills-to-manage-an-uncertain-future)
2. Segel, L. H. (2020) Positive Leadership In Uncertain Times, MckInsey & Company, New York: www.mcinsey.com
3. Street, H. and Temperley, J. (2006) Improving Schools Through Collaborative Enquiry, London: Continuum.
4. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/trade/publication/the-african-continental-free-trade-area
5. R. Dobbs, J. Manyika, J. Woetzel (2015) No Ordinary Disruption:The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends. New York: Hachette Book Group

Economies in Sub-Saharan Africa with its GDP growing steadily at 5% per annum since 2013. The biggest contributors to this growth have been agriculture, transport, storage, manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. The impressive growth rates, pre-COVID, witnessed in the hospitality, information, communication, transportation and sectors cannot also go without a mention. Yet, despite this impressive performance, skills shortages, high unemployment rates and mismatch of skills continue to plague the vitality of the economy.

However, since 2014, the Kenyan government has sought to address these challenges by various interventions. One such intervention is reforms in the TVET sub sector, targeted at addressing the skills mismatch and gaps thereof. Working with development agencies and other key stakeholder in the TVET subsector, the government purposefully set out to improve on the delivery of TVET training in the country. The “Skills Expert Project”, a skills development program initiated and supported by the Federal Government of Germany, is one is one of the pioneering programs mooted to champion the transformation of TVET training in Kenya.

Launched in late 2017, by the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy, and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa (AHK), the Skills Expert Project is a vocational training program that combines learning at a TVET educational institution with learning at the work place. Referred also as the Dual VET program, this system has been the corner stone of the German education system and is the reason for its strong industrial base.

As a viable option to the competency based education and training system, (CBET), the Dual VET seeks to address the drawback of focusing exclusively on a class/school based training which has been the main learning method in Kenya. By adopting the dual program for TVET, it was envisaged that the country would succeed in improving the quality of its graduates. Such that graduates will not only be better prepared for the work place but would also possess the skills that are actually needed.

A look into Dual VET, as an alternative path to learning
The Dual vocational education and training system stands out due to the two coordinated learning approaches. Learning at the employer (company) and learning at vocational school. The way it is designed is that the bulk of learning takes place at the company; with 60-70% of the time being spent at the company versus 40-30% being spent at school. To this end, the elements of theory are learnt at school, while application and practical aspects are learnt at the work place.   

Since the start of the Skills Expert Project in 2017, tremendous progress has been attained. The AHK as the implementers in collaboration with TVET institutions and the government have worked towards adapting the German Dual system curriculum. This curriculum was reviewed by Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and by the TVET Authority. Subsequently, KNQA accredited AHK in early 2020, as a Foreign Qualification Awarding Institution in Kenya for TVET Trainings. This means that certificates awarded by AHK Eastern Africa to trainees are now officially recognized in Kenya, and within the German system.

Overall, the central goal of the dual system is to help students attain and develop technical competencies, while nurturing their vocational aptitudes in school, so that they can meet their current and future professional challenges. In this regard, the dual system has outstanding potential to transform the private sector, reduce the unemployment within Kenya and in the long run boost and maintain overall economic growth.

Dual System in Action
For some time now, the AHK has been working in close collaboration with private sector organizations in the hospitality industry to roll out and establish the dual curriculum. Since its inception there have been some great successes and notable wins.

(i) 1st Chef Apprentice Program
The AHK, together with the Intercontinental Hotel Group, Tribe/Trademark Hotel and the German School, and in collaboration with Kibodeni College of Hospitality, rolled out the 1st Chef Apprentice Program. Through this program the first cohort of Chef Apprentices on the dual VET diploma program were trained for 3 years and completed their studies in August 2021, they sat their final examination in September. Upon successful graduation they will be awarded a double certification that includes German Level B and a Kenyan Diploma by the AHK.

The AHK together with, Movenpick Hotel, LSG Skychefs and The Nairobi Street Kitchen and in collaboration with the TVET arm of the Kenya Methodist University are scheduled to begin the 2nd Chef Apprentice Program, the intake is ongoing (October 2021). A similar program shall be rolled out in Mombasa later in the year. This will involve with Diani Beach Hotels; including Diani Sea Resort, Diani Sea Lodge, Neptune Hotels, and the Leopard Beach Hotel. This comes with a strong backing from the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers at the coast.

(iii) Other Dual Training programs in the pipeline
The AHK is preparing to introduce new dual training programs for logistics, shoe manufacturing, Pharma and Electronics. Already 24 students have attained dual training certification in Electronic Devices and Systems, after a 13 months course at the Kenya Technical Trainers College.

Lastly, AHK is also one of the key partners in the implementation of the Kenyan-German Initiative for Youth Employment, a collaborative program by the Kenyan and German governments to implement dual (Cooperative) vocational training scheme. The program has established 3 centers of excellence for Industrial Mechatronics, Automotive Mechatronics and Autobody at Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Nairobi Technical Training Institute (NTTI), Thika Technical Training Institute respectively.

Quality training for quality output
To enhance the quality of vocational training in Kenya, AHK Eastern Africa has introduced the “Training of Trainers (AdA) International” a vocational trainer qualification course. This specialized course targets in-company trainers who are responsible for planning training content and for conducting in-company vocational training programs as well to upskill vocational school teachers in pedagogy and didactics. As TVET shifts towards competency-based training, the vocational trainer qualification will assist to build the capacity of trainers in the across various TVET and work place institutions. It is noted that most trainers in the workplace already have professional and occupational experience, but lack the pedagogical competencies, essential in implementing Dual Vocational Education and Training. Thus these trainers will enable the effective and efficient transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes to trainers. The training is oriented according to the German Quality Standards AEVO.

AHK has so far conducted over 15 AdA International courses reaching 170 participants across several government agencies, training institutions, industries and organizations. Through the delivery of these train the trainer (TOT) courses, trainers have gained the adequate skillset to facilitate training in their specific companies and institutions and have a better understanding of the dual program.

The go-to TVET Experts
Due to its rich multicultural knowledge, experiences and expertise, the AHK offers TVET Consulting services while working closely with local industry stakeholders. The AHK advises on Dual Vocational Training standards, policy and practice in the region. Through its umbrella organization DIHK (Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and the 79 regional chambers (IHKs) in Germany, the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa supports companies in the development of dual vocational training programs. Through information sessions on the dual vocational training concept, curriculum development and customization, dual certification with German system elements and much more.

Going beyond its direct mandated activities, AHK is also one of the founders, trustees  and  secretariat of the Permanent Working Group on TVET, a multi-stakeholder platform that promotes collaboration and provides guidance on the implementation of TVET reforms in Kenya.

If you would like to learn more about the Dual System of Vocational Education and Training (VET) please visit the AHK  website https://www.kenia.ahk.de/ or contact the team via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.