Students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) will now have a chance to join universities once the Kenya Credit Accumulation and Transfer system (KCATS) policy comes into force.
Equally, students in universities will have a chance to join TVETs for skill learning under the policy that seeks to develop tools and instruments that empower and skill the youth.
The policy that will be implemented by the Kenya National Qualification Authority (KNQA) is meant to enhance skills development process, skills transferability and clarify progression.
According to the PS in the State Department of TVET Dr Esther Mworia, tens of university graduates did not have manual skills thus locking them from job opportunities.
She noted that under the new policy, students from TVETs would have a chance to even undertake PHD courses and vice-versa.
“Under this policy students in TVET institutions will have the chance to progress up to PHD level while those in Universities can come back for skill learning,” she said.
Speaking in Naivasha, she noted that the policy would help towards meeting the national, regional and continental aspirations on attainment of learner mobility and lifelong learning.
“Through this system, the Ministry envisages to ease movement of learners between various programmes such as TVET institutions, universities and professional examining bodies,” she said.
She added that the Government had embarked on reforms to develop tools and instruments that would empower and skill young Kenyans to thrive in a competitive market.
“We have had very good policies that are covered in dust on the shelves but we shall make sure that this one is fully implemented,” she said.
On her part, the acting Director-General KNQA Alice Kande said that the policy was aimed at enhancing the skills development process.
She added that the policy would come in handy in skills transferability, clarify progression pathways between and within levels of Qualifications and across different sectors; thus enabling Lifelong learning.
“The validation and recognition of learning remain useful tools in the process of establishing comparability of qualifications and formally acknowledging the validity of learning,” she said.
The Authority Chairperson Stanley Kiptis noted that the policy was part of implementing recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
“Implementation of the Kenya Credit Accumulation and Transfer System Policy is a key enabler towards portability of qualifications, skills, services and workers.
