Sh13, 000 stipend for college students as recruitment drive mounts

TVET Principal Secretary Kevit Desai (centre) chats with selected students from various technical institutions during the first Africa Tech Challenge Talk in Nairobi. [Courtesy]

Students in middle level colleges will now receive Sh13,600 for upkeep, the government has announced.

And the annual training cost in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been cut to Sh56,420, down from Sh92,000.

The two developments are part of the government's strategy to increase enrollment to the middle level colleges, which has proved challenging.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed said each student enrolled in TVET institutions will be eligible for loans of up to Sh40,000.

Of these, Sh26,400 will be paid directly to the college to cater for tuition while Sh13,600 will be sent directly to a student's account.

University students currently get Sh27,000 for their upkeep.

This means students wishing to join middle level colleges will be accorded a financial head start to help them plan their welfare as they study.

Amina said the government, through the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb), will provide capitation of Sh30,000 per trainee, per year.

The CS said TVET budgetary allocation has been increased from Sh13 billion in 2017/18 to Sh16 billion in 2018/19.

She said efforts to improve TVET are an indication that they are instrumental to the country’s national growth and development. 

“Provision of technical skills to our youth will prepare them for self and gainful employment, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture, blue-economy, leather, textiles and manufacturing sectors,” said Amina.

The Cabinet Secretary said the ministry will pay special emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Agriculture and Fisheries (STEMAF).

“These skills include basic vocational skills such as plumbing, electrical wiring, welding, brick laying, painting, carpentry, tailoring,” she said. 

She said the curriculum has been reformed from a supply-based to a demand-based Competency Based Education and Training (CBET), which she said is flexible. CBET was developed in consultation with the industry to guarantee relevance.

On curriculum delivery, Amina said the number of trainers will be increased from 3,780 to 5,780 in 2018/19.

This number will further be increased to 10,000 in the next five years to fill the gap for both current and the new TVET institutions to be established.

It however emerged that enrollment to the TVET institutions is low compared to the government target of 500,000.