Bridging Skills Gap: Selected County Governments Innovations in Vocational Training Centers in Kenya to Enhance Sustainable Social Economic Development
Abstract:
The advent of Kenya’s devolution in 2010, caused county governments to be critical actors in vocational skills development through the vocational training centres (VTC). This literature review article explored the innovations selected county governments in Kenya had put in place to address the gap in the vocational training centers (VTC) since then. Innovation such as implementation of dual learning model,public private partnerships (PPTs), Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), formation of “Working Groups” for strategy coordination, infrastructure upgrading and tailoring of county specific local economies courses had been adopted. Further, some trainees had been given the opportunity to work at the Affordable Housing Programme while high-level advocacy, skills fairs and exhibitions were on. Childcare services to vulnerable teen mothers, youth innovation/empowerment centres and mobile solar powered computer classroom had been provided. To enhance sustainable social economic development and to bridge the skills gap further, from the global innovation reviewed, this paper recommends stakeholders to emulate PPTs in Germany and UK where companies bear the workplace training cost. Developing of well-structured apprenticeships and robust quality assurance frameworks and high-quality career guidance should be provided to improve the responsiveness of skills provision. Integration of artificial intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality and ensuring full adoption of CBET in all the VTCs should also be emphasized.
KeyWords:
Skills Gap, Vocational Education, Vocational Training Centers, Competency-Based Education and Training, County Government
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