Effect of resource management on perfomance of technical Vocational education and training, A case of Vocational Training Centres in Busia County, Kenya

Abstract

Governments are renewing efforts to promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with the belief that skill acquisition enhances productivity and sustains competitiveness in the global economy. The fact that TVET is a tool for productivity enhancement and poverty reduction underscores the essence of their effective management. Despite the numerous interventions made by the various governments to improve TVET, it has not yielded the required results. This study was designed to assess the effect of resource management on performance of Technical Vocational Education and Training, a case of Vocational Training Centres in Busia County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to find out the effect of physical resources management on performance of vocational training centers in Busia County, to determine the effect of trainers competence management on performance of vocational training centers in Busia County, to establish the effect of training program quality assurance management on performance of vocational training centers in Busia County and to find out the effect of funds management on performance of vocational training centers in Busia County. In a bid to answer to the research questions the study adopted a quantitative research design based on a sample drawn from across the Busia County vocational training centers. The study targeted 197 employees from the 19 vocational training centres. A two-stage sampling technique was adopted where cluster random sampling was used to select the vocational training centres. The study used Taro Yamanes formular to calculate the sample size which yielded 132 respondents. Data was collected by use of questionnaires. Reliability was achieved by Pre-testing of the instrument. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to ascertain whether the instrument meets the threshold of 0.7 or above. Based on the R square, Physical resources management, trainers’ competence management, training program quality assurance management and fund management explained35.4 %, 29.6%, 58.6 %, 49 %change on the VTCs in Busia County respectively. Physical resources management trainers’ competence management, training program quality assurance management and fund management jointly explained 76.4% (R 2 =0.764) change on VTCs in Busia County. The correlations between Physical resources management, Trainers competence management, Training program quality assurance management and fund management was r=.595 ** , r= .544 ** r=.766 ** and .700 ** respectively which were positively and significantly related to VTCs at P<0.01. In conclusion all the management challenges significantly affect building and construction technology offered in VTCs in Busia County. Based on the joint effects of the management challenges training program quality assurance had the greatest effect on building and construction technology in VTCs in Busia County but this doesn’t devalue the effect of other management challenges. In this regard the current study recommends that the central and county governments should address the management challenges of VTCs to achieve their required standards in building and construction technology and other courses. The study also recommended that similar research should be conducted in other counties considering other technical areas like automotive and electrical.