TVET enrolment surges as Kenyan youth turn to technical skills

Thousands of learners with parents await clearance during day 2 admission at Kabete National Polytechnic on September 2, 2026. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Education sector is witnessing a major shift with increasing numbers of young people turn to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and polytechnics in search of practical skills, employment and opportunities to start their own businesses.

According to TVET Principal Secretary Dr Esther Muoria, enrolment in the institutions has risen from about 350,000 learners in 2022 to 1,201,320 by May 2026.

“More than 26,000 students who attained C+ and above, the minimum grade for university admission, have also voluntarily chosen TVET programmes, signalling a changing perception of technical education,” she said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba noted that the growing interest is being driven by a labour market that increasingly rewards practical competence in areas such as engineering, construction, automotive technology, ICT, hospitality, agriculture, manufacturing and renewable energy.

“As we implement policies, programs and projects which create jobs for the youth, we must simultaneously equip millions of young Kenyans with the education, training and skills necessary to enhance their productivity in a dynamic, globalized and competitive labor market,” he said.

Ogamba noted that the Government is targeting two million TVET learners and plans to establish an institution in each of the 290 constituencies, while 17 additional institutions are under construction.

On the second day of admission, Kabete National Polytechnic in Nairobi had registered over 2,900 learners with the number expected to hit 4,000 by Friday.

Kabete Chief Principal Dr Patrick Muchemi said the institutions modern infrastructure continue to attract more learners than before.

“Training must keep pace with changing technology and that is what we are building on. The technicians of the future must not only understand how systems operate but also how to make them safer, cleaner and more efficient,” he said.

He noted that the expanding enrolment is matched with modern equipment, qualified trainers and industry-relevant curricula.

“For many young Kenyans, technical skills is increasingly no longer a second choice, but a direct route to skills, work and entrepreneurship,” he added.

Established in 1924 as the Native Industry Training Depot, the institution was converted into a military recruitment barracks during the Second World War. After the war, it resumed technical training before becoming Kabete Technical High School after independence.

With the introduction of the 8-4-4 education system in 1985, it became Kabete Technical Training Institute, offering artisan, certificate and diploma programmes. It was elevated to national polytechnic status in 2016. Kabete National Polytechnic+1

Today, the institution offers more than 80 technical and vocational courses, including engineering, information technology, health sciences, applied sciences, hospitality and business.

Dr Muchemi noted that the institution is championing competency-based skills, industry linkages and innovation by training model emphasises hands-on learning, innovation and competency development. 

Dr Nduki Mutua pricncipal Machakos institute for the blind said the TVET is partnering with local manufacturing industries in order to expose trainees to practical application of skills learned in class.

"These are projects that our institutions can begin immediately. When it comes to fish firming we don't require any machinery but a few and because it is a matter of collaboration, these people have equipment and are able to bring them to our institutions then we partner with them," Dr Mutua said.

She called on learners to look beyond certificates and acquire skills that solve real problems.

“The institution’s approach is anchored on demand-driven training, research and innovation, with students encouraged to develop competencies that can translate into employment or enterprise,” she said. 

The Government has also made TVET more accessible by reducing annual fees from Sh105,000 to Sh67,000 and expanding student financial support.