By Billy Mijungu
Kenya Vision 2030 seeks to transform the country into a newly industrialising middle income nation driven by a skilled productive and globally competitive workforce. At the centre of this ambition is human capital development that aligns education training and labour market needs. It is within this framework that all ordinary level school leavers should be required to undergo technical training before joining university.
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training reforms already recognise skills development as a core pillar of national growth. Through technical training institutes vocational colleges and centres of excellence government policy has increasingly shifted towards competence based education practical skills acquisition and industry relevance. Making technical training a prerequisite for university admission would therefore be a a consolidation of existing reforms.
Vision 2030 identifies manufacturing infrastructure development housing and value addition as key drivers of economic growth. These sectors depend heavily on artisans technicians and technologists rather than degree holders alone. Kenya however continues to face a serious shortage of plumbers electricians welders bricklayers tailors mechanics and other skilled workers. Requiring all school leavers to pass through technical institutions would directly address this gap and support national development priorities.
This policy would also correct the social bias that places university education above technical skills. TVET reforms seek to elevate technical training to equal status with academic pathways by promoting dignity of labour employability and entrepreneurship. A mandatory skills phase would ensure that every young person exits the education system with a marketable competency thereby reducing youth unemployment and underemployment.
Recognition of Prior Learning as provided for under the TVET legal and policy framework must be fully institutionalised. Individuals who are self taught or who have acquired skills through apprenticeships or on the job experience should be assessed recognised and certified. Such certification should allow progression to higher training or university education in line with the principles of inclusivity lifelong learning and productivity embedded in Vision 2030.
Ultimately this policy would create a technically empowered population capable of driving industrialisation innovation and sustainable economic growth. By anchoring university education on prior skills training Kenya would be investing in an education system that responds to economic realities. This is a forward looking industrial capacity driven policy that fully reflects the spirit and intent of Vision 2030 and the ongoing TVET reforms.
