Government steps in to secure future of dual TVET programme

The government has taken over the coordination and oversight of the Dual Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Dual TVET) programme in Western Kenya to ensure its continuity as external project support comes to an end in December 2026.

The transition transfers responsibility from project partners to the Ministry of Education’s State Department for TVET, with the government expected to sustain the partnerships and institutional structures established during the programme’s implementation.

The handover was formalised during the Western Kenya Regional Dual TVET Project Closure and Hand-Over Meeting in Kisumu, attended by government officials, training institutions, industry representatives and development partners.

Through the Dual Training Coordination Unit, the State Department for TVET will oversee implementation and build on the achievements of the Promotion of Youth Employment and Vocational Training Project.

James Tegeret, Director of Industry Linkages and Dual Training at the State Department for TVET, said the transition would strengthen government ownership and accountability.

“The end of project support must not mean the end of the interventions and partnerships established,” Tegeret said.

Western Kenya is one of five regions implementing the programme, with 25 participating institutions supported under the current phase, which began in 2023. The phase builds on a pilot programme implemented between 2019 and 2022.

The Dual TVET model combines classroom instruction with practical workplace training, allowing trainees to acquire technical skills and gain industry experience before completing their courses.

The approach also gives employers a direct role in skills development, helping align training with labour market demands and improve graduates’ readiness for employment.

Dr Chrispus Ndinyo, General Manager for Construction Research, Capacity Building and Business Development at the National Construction Authority, called for the programme’s expansion to reach more workers in the construction sector.

He said wider adoption of dual training could improve productivity, strengthen the construction value chain and create economic opportunities through practical skills development.

GIZ Kenya Project Manager Horst Bauernfeind said the transition provided an opportunity to consolidate the programme’s achievements while strengthening government leadership.

He called for greater adoption of dual training in manufacturing and other key industries, noting that coordination should increasingly be led by the Ministry of Education.

The project is implemented by the State Department for TVET, with technical support from the German development agency GIZ and financial support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

As the project approaches its December 2026 deadline, stakeholders have identified stronger coordination, quality assurance, resource mobilisation and sustained employer engagement as priorities for maintaining the programme.

The government will need to ensure that participating institutions retain access to industry partnerships and workplace training opportunities while maintaining training standards and responding to changing labour market needs.

The programme aims to improve youth employability by strengthening the relevance, quality and inclusivity of Kenya’s TVET system through workplace-based learning.