NITA's bid to improve industrial training

Dr William Kiprono administration Secretary in the Ministry Labour and Social Protection at NITA's five-year strategic plan launch with National Industrial Board chairman Kamau Gachigi in Athi River in October 2018. [File]

The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) is a State corporation established to power industrial training. The authority has also partnered with the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs to implement the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project with support from the World Bank.

Eng Ogenga spoke to Financial Standard about the training dynamics.

NITA’s mandate is to promote the highest standards in the quality and efficiency of industrial training in Kenya. How are you effectively playing this role?

The authority has recently developed six industrial training schemes - apprenticeship, indentured learnership, National Trade Test rules, skills upgrading, industrial attachment and graduate apprenticeship.   Having these schemes in place will ensure quality and standards are met in industrial training. This will enable the authority to churn out trainees who are ready for the job market and can meet the demands of the industry.

What are the core roles of NITA?

They include industrial training, assessing and collecting industrial training levy and fees, regulating trainers registered under section 7C of the Act, harmonising curricula and certificate of competence; developing industrial training curricula, assessing and awarding craft proficiency certificates and Government Trade Test certificates.  These are meant to integrate labour market information into skills development.   Others are equating certificates and accrediting institutions engaged in skills training for industry.

For any country to grow, adequate supply of properly trained manpower is required. How is NITA ensuring that Kenya achieves its Big Four agenda and Vision 2030?

The country requires an adequately trained workforce and the authority is partnering with county governments to enhance skills upgrading, partnering with relevant industry players, conducting trainers forums and public sensitisation on the importance of Trade Test and Industrial Training Levy. These will enable NITA to regulate and coordinate Industrial training in the country to achieve government Agenda.

How is the certification of industrial training skills carried out?

NITA administers National Government Trade Tests countrywide in the centres within the Authority alongside accredited NITA Trade Testing centres.  This entails the design of test guidelines or curriculum from which an identified setter may develop a test paper for a specific trade, which gives a working technical drawing with details of what is to be produced by a candidate at the end of the test.  Currently, there are over 500 institutions and workplaces spread all over the country that, have been accredited and approved as testing centres.  Testing takes place in April, August December every year. Qualified candidates are issued certificates by NITA.

How many industrial training centres do you have, and how are they structured to meet their mandate?

We have centres, run by centre manager. The centres offer different courses.   The curriculum is developed at NITA headquarters in Nairobi. NITA Nairobi and NITA Textile Training Institute are located at NITA’s headquarters. Then there is NITA Athi River, Mombasa, and Kisumu.

The industrial training centres host a number of industry-oriented courses targeting workers in the formal and informal sectors. Elaborate on these courses?

NITA Nairobi offers motor vehicle mechanics, motor vehicle electrician, plant mechanics and power plant mechanics and fitter general. Others are welding and fabrication, machinist, masonry, carpentry and joinery, Plumber, and pipefitter.   NITA Kisumu offers courses in masonry, plumbing, mechanics and boiler operation. NITA Athi River has an automotive care centre and offers courses in motor vehicle mechanics, motor vehicle electrician, plant mechanics, power plant mechanics, fitter general, welding and fabrication while the NITA Textile Training Institute offers garment making and apparel technology.   NITA Mombasa offers courses in motor vehicle mechanics and electrician, plant and power plant mechanics, refrigeration and air conditioning among others.

How is NITA leveraging technology as a way of ensuring that the technical skills meet the new trends in the market?

We recently launched digital e-learning for masonry and welders at NITA Nairobi.