Nyeri: The Ministry of Education could soon extend the training duration for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes from three months to six months in a move aimed at improving the quality of skills imparted to the trainees.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for TVETs, Dr. Esther Muoria, stated that the government is considering extending the course duration to ensure trainees acquire practical and relevant skills. Dr. Muoria emphasized that the review follows concerns from employers about the adequacy of TVET graduates' preparation under the current three-month modularised programme.
Dr. Muoria explained, "We have realized that the three months that we were training may not be absolutely requisite for us to pronounce that we have properly skilled a young person to be out there in the industry. So we are here to re-look at the curriculum, so that we decide that the least length of time that a young person is going to be in training is six months so that by the time we release them into the industry we are confident that the person is ready for the industry."
Last year, the State Department restructured the TVET curriculum into smaller specializations known as modules, currently assessed and accredited over three months. So far, 316 curricula have been modularized, allowing trainees to undertake preferred courses in modules and receive certification at each level. Trainees can then choose to continue their education or use their acquired skills to seek employment.
When the modular system was rolled out in May 2025, Dr. Muoria highlighted that it would enable quicker transitions to the job market and reduce training costs. "We are shifting from a situation where our young people will be in an institution, training for a whole year. We are doing this so that we give them an opportunity to transit to the world of work," she stated.
Dr. Muoria spoke during the official opening of the Restructuring and Alignment of the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) Modular Curriculum workshop at Nyeri National Polytechnic. This workshop aims to refine and align modular curricula to meet industry demands more flexibly and enhance their quality.
Dr. Muoria noted that continuous improvement efforts are being made in consultation with industry players and the Ministry of Labour to ensure TVET graduates meet occupational standards. She emphasized the importance of integrating institutional learning and industry exposure to better prepare trainees for employment and entrepreneurship.
"We want to train young people who are good for the industry because as far as the industry is concerned the big issue has been that we are training people who are irrelevant for the industry. So relevance is what we want to concentrate on addressing," she said. "This will also ensure that our young people are not only easily getting employment out there but they can also be able to start their own enterprises and even be able to employ others."
Dr. Muoria also highlighted the government's recent decision to reduce TVET annual fees from Sh 105,000 to Sh 67,000, reiterating the commitment to making technical education affordable. However, she acknowledged the challenges faced by training institutions in accessing critical training materials and revealed that the Ministry is engaging with the National Treasury and the National Assembly to secure additional funding through the Supplementary Budget to support TVET institutions.
"Even as we talk about reducing the school fees per year, we have realized that are also going to continue struggling because of the material that we need to train our young people because we train practically. This is a continuous engagement that we are going to have until we are able to have an equilibrium of we are going to be able to make training affordable and at the same time quality because of the materials we must buy," she concluded.