Bonaventure Kerre speaking in Eldoret during the conference on Friday, June 30, 2017. [Photo: hivisasa.com]

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Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) is the future of advancement in technology and the country should invest in the institutions to train manpower.

This is according to the chairman Kenyan National Qualifications Authority Prof Bonaventure Kerre, who said this, Friday during the second day for the sixth Rift Valley International TVET Conference in Eldoret.

The conference whose theme is ‘Towards Collaborative TVET.Promoting Accelerated Sustainable Development’ has attracted participants from Germany, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania among other countries and institutions.

According to Kerre, technical training has brought levels of education higher and it can’t be ignored anymore because it is the only way Kenyan can advance in various sectors.

“Technical institutions have helped a lot in producing man power which has come up with various innovations in different fields that has helped transform lives,” Kerre said.

“In the past, those joining polytechnics were considered as failures but see amazing innovations they have invented which has helped humanity. Even a lot of efforts have been channeled towards developing institutions for skill training,” he added.

Kerre who is also a technology education professor said Kenya has made tremendous milestones in equipping TVET institutions for the past five years.

“I must say that Kenyan Tvet institutions are different today from where we were ten years ago.Ther have been a lot of positive  changes in terms of funding and availing the relevant training facilities,” Kerre said.

He however faulted the government’s move to build a polytechnic in every ward saying it will erode the quality of education if they will not be properly equipped.

“There is danger if such institutions will be created and left without equipping to produce proper man power. We need state of the art facilities to enable students acquire relevant skills and expertise,” he said.

RVTTI Principal Edwin Tarno said the conference is focusing on environmental sustainable innovations that will help in drring the country forward.

"This is a greening conference and the purpose is to come up with innovations that are friendly to our ecosystem.We need to think the way forward in greening Kenya through sustainable technologies so that we can achieve the United Nations goals on the matter," Tarno said.