CS: TVET trade skill tests to be held countrywide

Labour, Skills Development and Social Protection CS Florence Bore (centre) at Cheptarit Vocational Training Centre in Nandi county. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

The government has launched a countrywide National Industrial Training Authority assessment.

It targets 21,670 candidates in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutions across the country.

Trade testing is a skills testing process to determine the level of competence of a person in their occupation or trade area for certification and subsequent entry into employment.

Speaking at Cheptarit Vocational Training Centre in Nandi county, Labour, Skills Development and Social Protection CS Florence Bore said the April test series will take place in 438 testing centres across 47 counties with candidates being tested in 43 trade testable skill areas for Grade 111, 11 and 1

The CS said the government trade test is a critical vehicle that goes a long way in reducing poverty by providing individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to secure better-paying jobs.

"Investing in the development of the workforce will foster innovation and creativity, which are key drivers of economic growth and competitiveness," she said.

Bore said the ultimate goal of skills development is to improve the employability of individuals, increase productivity, reduce unemployment, poverty and strengthen innovation.

She said the genesis of skills development and policy formulation in Kenya can be traced back to the country's independence in 1963, adding that the government recognises the need for a skilled workforce to drive economic growth and development.

The CS said skills, knowledge and entrepreneurship are the main drivers of an individual's well-being and economic success in a global knowledge-based economy.

However, Bore who was with NITA Director General Dr Steve Ogenga, said the critical challenge facing training providers today is to prepare 'market ready' graduates.

"To achieve this, the government aims to improve skills development efforts and sector linkages for increased employability. This will be achieved by ensuring skills policy coherence across the economic, employment and social development arenas," she said.

Bore said the national government remains cognizant of the need to foster a globally competitive, responsive and adaptive workforce through skills development programmes that adequately respond to the current and future skills demand of the industry.

Dr Ogenga said NITA is committed to playing its key role of ensuring the job market is supplied with a skilled, quality and relevant workforce for optimum productivity.

"Our focus is to conduct a national trade test that meets and surpasses the needs of the industry," he said.

The Director General said by investing in the development of human capital, the country can increase its competitiveness in the global market, resulting in greater economic growth, job creation and improved standards of living.

"As a country desirous of developing a rich human resource base, we must pool together to ensure we impart the appropriate skills through programmes such as the trade test so as to harness the immense demographic dividend from our youth bubble," he said.

Nandi Deputy Governor Dr Yulita Mitei said the county government will work hand in hand with the national government to ensure more youth enrol in TVET institutions to gain useful skills that are job oriented.

"We will promote technical education and remove the notion that it was a place for failures," she said.