Organisations step up youth skilling drive in TVET

TVET students go through a project during a workshop on January 28, 2025. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Youth skilling has become a growing focus on practical, industry-driven training that aligns education with labour market needs.

At the heart of this shift is the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, which is emerging as a key pipeline for employable skills in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and data protection.

According to Brevil Khaemba, a senior vice president at Scratch and Script, the initiative demonstrates the untapped potential within TVET institutions.

“We are an AI startup focused on helping young people and organisations adopt AI and other intelligence swiftly. For the last one and a half years, we have been working with institutions training them in cybersecurity, AI and data protection,” she said.

She noted that TVET students are highly technical and can be trained quickly to deliver industry-ready solutions.

“TVET is the core of development in industrialisation leading to employment. These students are the backbone of the workforce. They have helped us build solutions, including a data protection map for Africa,” Khaemba added.

The skills push comes as the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) holds its inaugural National Career Conference and Exhibition, aimed at guiding learners to make informed career choices ahead of the 2026 placement cycle.

The forum seeks to demystify career choices, promote TVET and CBET pathways, and highlight emerging opportunities beyond traditional degree programmes.

KUCCPS CEO Dr Agnes Wahome said CBET has transformed technical education by allowing modular training and certification.

“Learners can now train in modules, earn certification at every level and join the job market even before completing their full courses,” she said.

Dr Wahome called for a mindset shift, noting that academic grades alone should not define success.

“About 75 per cent of KCSE candidates in the last two years did not qualify for university. That does not mean they have failed,” she said, adding that a balanced education system must place TVET at its core.

IGNITE Program, which has trained over 700 youth and instructors, with 250 students graduating in specialised fields including AI, data security and data protection.

The programme is implemented by the ISACA Kenya Chapter and Scratch and Script, supported by the Ministry of Education through the State Department of TVET, and funded by AUDA-NEPAD under the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA).

The programme partnered with Sigalagala National Polytechnic, Kabete National Polytechnic and Pwani TVET, delivering hands-on, industry-relevant training that reflects the ongoing shift to Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET).

CBET emphasises practical, skills-oriented and learner-centred training, moving away from theory-heavy instruction.

It also focused on career pathways, labour market trends, skills development and education-to-employment linkages. As a result, 21 TVET instructors completed capacity-building programmes, strengthening institutional capacity to deliver modern digital skills.

IGNITE recorded measurable impact across the TVET sector. Forty TVET institutions were registered with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), with 40 Data Protection Officers trained.

In addition, 80 youth took part in a national hackathon, developing innovative solutions that demonstrated practical cybersecurity, data protection and AI skills. The programme also mentored 100 women, with 30 graduating on January 28.

Key milestones included engaging 40 TVET youth in the practical registration of institutions with the ODPC, deploying digital tools and online labs for TVETs, and developing privacy management solutions to support institutional compliance.