Government urges stakeholders to help in crackdown on unaccredited TVET institutions

TVET Principals visit standard Group stand during Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions [KATTI] capacity building workshop at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort in Mombasa. [Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Accredited Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres have been asked to report mushrooming institutions operating without accreditation.

Officials from the ministry of Education and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) said non-accredited institutions compromise the quality of education and services offered to learners.

A total of 2,159 TVET institutions both public and private have been accredited by the TVETA in the country while 7,000 trainers have also been registered and licensed to offer 296 recognised courses.

Another 58 public TVET and 91 private institutions and 327 vocational training centres that were accredited by January 31.

Speaking in Kisumu during the official opening of TVETA western regional offices, Vocational and Technical Training Principal Secretary Dr Margaret Mwakima and TVETA chairperson Prof Florence Indede said lack of accreditation was playing a great role in poor quality education to learners.

She said the region is emerging as an education and training hub with a total of 474 registered TVET institutions comprising of three national polytechnics, namely Kisii, Kisumu and Sigalagala.

The western region office will serve Busia, Kisumu, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Homabay, Migori and Siaya counties.

According to Prof Indede, the accredited institutions are their eyes on the ground since they did not have offices everywhere.

She added it was unfair for non-accredited institutions to compete with accredited ones.

“I want to encourage members to present here that you are our eye on the ground, please let us not allow mushrooming of institutions which are not accredited. They will be doing a lot of disservice to the Kenyans citizens. We may not be everywhere much as we are striving and trying to put regional offices to bring closer services to the citizens,” she explained.

Dr Mwakima said members of the public must confirm the accreditation status of institutions from the relevant offices before commencing any application.

“We expect all TVET institutions to display their accreditation at an area where the public may be able to access so that before we recruit the trainers we are all sure that the institutions are well accredited and also are operating within the Standards so as to give quality trainings and perquisites skills that are key in building the nation,” she argued.

She further said the new office should come with value for money and also asked all the institutions to work with the new office to ensure quality standards.

TVET institutions currently have only 470,000 learners but aim to increase the number to five million.