TVET-Industry partnerships key to bridging skills gap, boosting employment

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

The Government has called for stronger collaboration between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and industry to ensure graduates acquire practical, job-ready skills that align with labour market needs and support economic transformation.

Acting Secretary of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), Joseph Njau, said Kenya is undergoing a major shift in its TVET system from certification-based training to a competence-driven model focused on productivity, innovation and employability.

Njau, who represented Principal Secretary for TVET Dr Esther Muoria, said the transformation is especially important in agriculture, where modern production, technology adoption, quality standards and market access increasingly depend on industry-relevant skills.

Speaking during a workshop in Nairobi attended by more than 150 stakeholders from the agricultural and fresh produce sectors, Njau said industry must play a central role in defining the skills required in the economy.

“Industry should help shape the skills that industry needs,” he said, urging stronger linkages between training institutions and employers, expanded workplace exposure for students, and greater participation of industry experts in curriculum delivery.

He said the Government is promoting competency-based education and training, work-based learning, responsive curricula, and innovation-driven training to ensure graduates are not only job seekers but also job creators.

Njau added that TVET institutions should evolve into centres of production, innovation, technology transfer and enterprise development. This, he said, would enable young people to commercialize ideas, establish businesses and contribute directly to job creation.

He noted that the fresh produce sector presents significant opportunities across production, post-harvest handling, processing, logistics, digital agriculture, quality assurance, export compliance and market access. However, he said these opportunities require a workforce equipped with practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Njau said a new partnership between the State Department for TVET and the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPC Kenya) will strengthen industry exposure, research, innovation and technology transfer, while also supporting the commercialization of products developed in TVET institutions.

He said the collaboration will also enhance trainer capacity, improve institutional infrastructure and encourage TVET institutions to establish production and commercialization units to make training more relevant to industry needs.

Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya President Okisegere Ojepat said the partnership is designed to address the long-standing mismatch between skills acquired in training institutions and those required in the workplace.

He said the consortium, working with the State Department for TVET, is implementing a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening ties between industry and training institutions.

“We want to increase exports, increase job opportunities and ensure the skills mismatch we have experienced before is addressed,” Ojepat said.

He said industry and TVET institutions will jointly develop curricula based on current and emerging needs in the fresh produce sector. The collaboration will also provide structured practical training through demonstration farms, training centres and centres of excellence.

Ojepat said learners will gain hands-on experience while still in training, improving their readiness for employment. He added that institutions will be aligned with specific value chains and geographical areas to ensure students are exposed to real agricultural operations.

“We will jointly develop curricula with TVET institutions, and these institutions will serve as centres of excellence, innovation and adoption of new technologies,” he said.

He noted that the initiative will also benefit workers already in the sector by offering upskilling and career development opportunities. Industry players will provide farms, facilities and expertise to support training and mentorship.

The partnership will cover key areas of the fresh produce value chain, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, meat and meat products, as well as value addition processes.

Ojepat said agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, making skills development in the sector critical for boosting productivity, exports and employment.

He added that the initiative will enhance Kenya’s global competitiveness by ensuring workers meet both local and international standards through proper training and accreditation.

Backing the policies, Nyandarua National Polytechnic Chief Principal Dr Jane Gitau commended the tertiary institutions for producing hand on graduates who are ready for the employment, dismissing allegations that some of the vocational college produce half-baked graduands

She said many graduates enter the job market with academic knowledge but lack practical experience, forcing employers to train them from scratch.

Ms Gitau said the success of the partnership will be measured not by meetings or agreements signed, but by real outcomes such as increased employment, business growth, technology adoption and improved agricultural productivity.

She noted that the ultimate goal is to retain more value within the economy by equipping students with relevant skills that meet industry demands.

“As we strengthen Kenya’s TVET system, skills must remain the bridge between education and economic transformation,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Hassan Nandwa, a student and manager at Fawaki Import and Export Limited, said closer collaboration between industry and training institutions would help reduce the cost and time employers spend retraining graduates.

“Industry is important because we often hire people who are not experienced and have to train them from the beginning,” he said.

Nandwa said students who gain industry exposure during training are better prepared for immediate employment after graduation. He also called for stronger employer involvement in curriculum development to ensure training reflects labour market realities.

He encouraged young people to remain focused and pursue practical experience alongside their studies, saying determination and exposure are key to career success.

Stakeholders agreed that sustained collaboration between government and the private sector will be essential in building a skilled workforce, expanding employment opportunities and enhancing the competitiveness of Kenya’s agricultural and fresh produce sector in regional and global markets.

By Aron Kinyamasyo and Emmanuel Mwendwa

Reporting originally appeared via Kenya News Agency. Read the full source for additional context.