81203546-Implementation of Gender Mainstreaming and Disability Inclusion activities in Dual TVET in Kenya

The project is jointly financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Finland and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ), and it is embedded as a technical cooperation module in the German development cooperation program "Sustainable Economic Development - Promoting youth employment and vocational training in Kenya" as well as the Finnish development cooperation program for Kenya. The project aligns with the strategies of the MoE of Kenya, such as the Kenya Vision 2030 and the TVET Blueprint.

To tap the potential of the key sectors, there is a lack of qualified labour force trained practically and according to the needs of companies. The reform of the TVET sector is therefore a high priority for the Kenyan government; it aims to improve access, quality and relevance of TVET and is intended to help reduce skills shortages and create new employment opportunities for young people. The priorities of the reform are specified in the MoE's National TVET Blueprint strategy for the period 2021/22 to 2025/26. The strategy opens potential for greater involvement of industry in the design and implementation of the TVET (3rd and 4th pillar). The piloting of the dual TVET approach in the previous phase of this this project, showed that companies are willing to participate in the training programme due to their high demand for qualified personnel.

The TVET system in Kenya is not able to provide skilled workers who meet the labour requirements of the economy. Although numerous young people complete training programmes of the public TVET institutions, they often do not find adequate employment afterwards. The companies complain about the high costs of continuing to train graduates until they are able to work productively. In summary, it can be said that the TVET system does not sufficiently meet the requirements of the labour market (core problem). By strengthening the capacity of the MoE, subordinate TVET agencies and TVET schools with the involvement of industry, the project directly addresses the necessary improvements regarding the labour market relevance and quality of TVET and, at the same time, makes contributions to gender transformation and disability inclusion. This improves the employment prospects of young people who are undergoing training, especially young women and people with disabilities (PwD).

The objective of the project is to have inclusive and labour market relevant dual TVET programs for young women and men, as well as people with disabilities (PwD), integrated into the Kenyan TVET system.