ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to analyze infrastructural support and trainer attributes in TIVET institutions in Kenya. Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TIVET) is acknowledged as a means of transforming and empowering the youth with skills, knowledge and attitudes to enable them become productive members of the society. The objective of the study were: 1) to establish the qualification of staff in selected institutions offering clothing and textile courses,
2) to determine training needs of staff in the selected TIVET institutions offering clothing and textile courses, 3) to establish the status of equipment and physical facilities used for training in clothing and textile courses and 4) to establish methods used in teaching clothing and textile courses in TIVET institutions. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The samples included 8 technical institutes and 10 institutes of technology in Kenya offering courses in clothing and textile and were examined by Kenya National Examination Council. The respondents were the principals, deputy principals, lecturers, technicians and students in 18 TIVET institutions. A total of 452 respondents participated in the study (consisting of 250 second year students taking a diploma course in clothing and textile, 18 technicians, 148 lecturers and 36 principals and deputy principals). Questionnaires were 250 for second years, 166 for Lectures and Technicians. Interview schedules were 36 for principal and their deputies and observation check-lists were 250 for students which were used as instruments for the study. The researcher used Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) tool to analyse the data. Both the qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were used. Descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies were used to report data. Data were presented in form of frequency tables, bar graphs, and pie charts. The results showed that the academic staff members were academically qualified; however, there was need for them to upgrade their technical skills. The study also found that there was further training need for the academic staff in the institutions studied as indicated by all the staff. The trainings required was in: entrepreneurship, bachelor degree in Clothing and textiles, use of IT in clothing and textile, machine maintenance, Diploma in clothing technology, technical skills upgrading and masters‟ degree in fashion design. On the status of equipment and physical facilities, the study found that 172 (86%) of the respondents indicated that the facilities were inadequate. On training methods used, the study established that practical work, lecture and teachers‟ notes, demonstration, questions and answers and class discussion were used often. It was recommended that the Government should provide additional learning and training equipment to replace the out-dated ones. Teachers should go for additional training to upgrade their skills. It was suggested that a study needs to be done to establish the relevance of the curriculum used in TIVET institutions.
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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
In Kenya, as in many countries, education and training is seen as the fundamental pillar for building human resource foundation for socio economic development, and for enhancing the ability to create employment, innovation and wealth (KESSP, 2005). The Government of Kenya has invested heavily and is also well aware of the potential benefits of technical education. This is evident from the policy statements in national agenda and other policy documents (Kenya Vision 2030 (2007), Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (2005) and the National ICT4D policy (2006).
Bennell (1999) found that Vocational Education and Training (VET) was not factored in most government and donor poverty reduction strategies in developing countries. This lack of commitment on VET is largely attributed to lack of donor interest and poor funding by many governments. While there is a need to adjust development efforts and build the human resource and capabilities of the poor, vocational education and training has been receiving little or minimal attention. However, in the recent acavities related to Technical, Industrial and Vocational Education and Training (TIVET) have tremendously picked up following increased sensitization workshops for institutional managers, capacity building programs for Head of Department (HoDs), training of lecturers who will be teaching technical subjects that are in TIVET institution under Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) in Kenya. Institutional managers have not been left behind and have played a key role by modernizing their infrastructure capacity at the institutional level by organizing their own capacity building programs for lecturers to adopt Information
Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. However, these initiatives vary from one institution to another as clearly indicated in the level of the implementation.
Kenya has set in motion an ambitious program to become a middle level income economy and eventually raise its Gross income per capita by implementing Vision 2030 projects. Kenyan education and training institutions can play a critical role in creating a human resource base that would take science and technology industrialization to the next level of development and thus transform this nation into an industrialized economy.
It is worth noting that TIVET sub‐sector is critical to the development of industry‟s human resource, high quality training services must be delivered by the sector to enhance the productivity and competitiveness. Highly competitive TIVET systems in developing and emerging economies provide much sought after skilled labour that would attract direct foreign investments. It is therefore important to enhance skills of graduates of the TIVET systems through provision of quality training services that are markedly enhanced (TIVET Report, 2011). ICT integration in TIVET must be considered for technological innovations and developments in industry today. This requires trainers and trainees to have the necessary skills to support the use of ICT for teaching and learning. Specialized ICT skills are required in the work place for production and communication, and are seen as an essential complement to traditional content knowledge, in courses such as science, clothing and textile, and engineering (TIVET Report, 2011).
The Ndegwa report of 1970 rooted for the expansion of technical education in order to enhance access. This led to the upgrading of all Technical Trade schools to National Technical Secondary Schools (NTSS) to offer four year pre-technician programmes. The NTSS were thereafter upgraded to Technical Training Institutions (TTI‟s). As a result of the high demand of skills for self-reliance by school leavers, the local communities in various regions, through self-help efforts and assistance from donors who provided equipment and were able to establish the present day Institutes of Technology. This was done with professional guidance of the government. According TIVET Strategy (2007), TIVET institutions are currently offering post-secondary school technical vocational programmes using the same facilities and equipment installed during their inception, which are now obsolete and need quick fixing in the wake of changing technology advancement. Modernization and industrialization of any given country would largely rely on well equipped students with technical skills that match the job market including clothing and textile courses among other courses in technical education (MOEST, 2007).
According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (2009), Kenya is characterized by a mismatch between skills acquired through the training programmes and those demanded by the labour market, lack of flexibility of curriculum and lack of clear pathways for technical and vocational advancement. Since independence, there have been several Commissions on education and training such as Ominde (1965), Ndegwa (1971), Mackay (1981) and Koech (2000) that recommended actions with varying implications on skills development. The thrust of the reports have been skills for social integration, economic growth, national unity, poverty eradication and reduction of social inequality, among others. According to
GOK (2005), despite the collapse of cotton and textile industries in Kenya, the government, through Vision 2030, has committed itself to revive the industry. Top on agenda in this revival programme include identifying and developing skilled manpower in TIVET institutions.
However, this agenda may be slowed down owing to lack of facilities and capacities in TIVET institutions to cater for graduates of primary and secondary education, wishing to undertake clothing and textiles, has not been fully evaluated. In addition, lack of involvement of stakeholders (clothing and textile industries, universities secondary schools and primary schools) in the management of these institutions has led to irrelevant training programmes, leading to mismanagement of scarce resources, duplication of roles, conflict of jurisdiction, under-utilization of available training facilities, wasteful and unnecessary competition from corridor dress makers and tailors, imports of mitumba and China made clothes (MOEST, 2007).
According to MOEST (2007), the immediate remedy is to undertake the development of a nationwide training strategy and to implement the necessary reforms along with a legislative framework, for a comprehensive TIVET system. There is need for harmonized national TIVET policies, provision of adequate funds and development of positive social attitudes towards training and enhanced management. The increased public funding will boost subsidy among the poor households through loans and bursaries to needy trainees. Efficiency is crucial in a global complex and competitive market, thus requiring well trained profiles that can manage complex creative processes. The clothing and textile course has been designed to train professionals that are able to manage the production of manufactures or designer‟s
products to the right quality and quantity that can compete equally with international production teams, service purchasers, suppliers and clients
