The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVET) has pledged to expand its services at the local level by establishing regional offices across the country.

This is after the official opening of the first office in Mombasa County to bring services closer to its clients.

Speaking at the official opening of TVETA, Coastal Regional Office in Mombasa, Deputy Director of Technical Education Nelson Gitau, while being the main guest of the ceremony representing the Department’s Senior Secretary of State Vocational and Technical Training, Dr Margaret Mwakima, said the offices would not only bring services closer to the people, but also ensure the delivery of quality training in the country.

“You will no longer need to travel to Nairobi to request our services as we have brought you an office here in Mombasa. This will save you time and money and reduce the risks associated with travel, ”said Gitau.

He added that two more offices are expected to be operational in Eldoret and Kisumu in the very near future.

Gitau was optimistic that the new office would identify all TVET institutions in the region and eliminate illegal ones to ensure that all graduates are competent and contribute to the growth of the economy.

However, he urged TVET providers and the general public to use the new office for consultation on all matters relating to accreditation and quality assurance.

“The public should now be aware that certificates obtained from unregistered institutions will not help either the student or the parents,” he added.

Gitau praised the county government for its vast contribution to vocational colleges in terms of staffing, infrastructure development, equipment and capacity building.

Despite the challenges faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the TVET authority continued to play its essential role in coordinating and regulating TVET training in the country.

According to the President of the TVET Council, Professor Florence Indede, more than 200 new public TVET institutions have been established in the country in the last 10 years.

Professor Indede said the authority has grown considerably since the enactment of the 2010 Constitution.

“Credit to the government in its efforts to transform the TVET sector and increase access for young people,” said Professor Indede.

She reiterated that the offices would bring more efficiency in TVET accreditation and more monitoring for quality assurance.

Indede noted that there were more registered private TVET institutions than public ones.

“The development that is rarely mentioned is that in tandem with public institutions, the private sector has applied for and obtained accreditation from TVETA to manage hundreds of institutions,” she said.

By Chari Suche and Riziki Tokal

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVET)