Kenya’s TVET system transforms through innovations and training

In Kenya, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector plays a vital role in addressing youth unemployment, driving industrial development, and enhancing national productivity. As the country continues to invest in infrastructure and emerging sectors such as oil and gas production, the demand for a skilled and adaptable workforce is greater than ever.

In line with this trend, ILO’s Partnership for improving prospects of forcibly displaced persons and host communities (PROSPECTS) project partnered with the Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET), transforming the latter into a national engine for ensuring quality in vocational training. A 2024 presidential executive order expanded KSTVET’s mandate, requiring it to upgrade all TVET practitioners in the country. Guided by its new Strategic Plan 2023-2027, the School has already reviewed more than fifty instructor programmes, aligned them with Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) standards, established by the Ministry of Education, and laid the foundation for consistent delivery across all public and private colleges.

Digital platforms expand KSTVET’s reach

A digital studio, with upgraded servers and a learning-management system funded by ILO PROSPECTS, now anchors an Open, Distance and E-Learning department at KSTVET. Nine pilot trade courses—covering electrical installation, welding theory, entrepreneurship and common units—are already online, while Phase 2 of PROSPECTS, which started in 2025, will convert the remaining curricula. The upgraded digital infrastructure allows tutors in remote Counties like Lodwar, Turkana or Garissa to stream lessons and join live tutorials ensuring that all instructors access the same content and assessments as lecturers in Nairobi.

Continuous professional development for every trainer

With support from the ILO’s International Training Centre (ITC) in Turin, two new online Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses—on training-centre management and digital instruction—were co-designed. This allows more than 2,000 trainers to attend refresher training sessions online, saving time and institutional budgets compared to in-person trainings.

A broader mandate for social impact

KSTVET revised its employability manual, to integrate ILO’s social-cohesion and peaceful-co-existence guidance, equipping trainers to address tensions common in displaced-population settings. The European Union (EU) has since recognized KSTVET as a Centre of Excellence for Productivity Practitioners, underscoring its growing regional influence. Backed by modern digital infrastructure, systematic CPD and an expanded mandate, KSTVET now drives national impact—bringing high-quality, inclusive TVET within reach of every corner of Kenya.