Integration of industrial skills in engineering training for sustainable development: an analysis of selected courses in technical institutions in the north rift region Kenya

Abstract

The Kenya National Development goal is for Kenya to be industrialized by the year 2030 as per the vision 2030 blue print in which the foundation originated from Session Paper Number Two of 1996 on Industrial Transformation and Development. In order to achieve this goal, the linkage between technology training and the world of work are of primary importance and that the training must be relevant and geared towards industrialization. This study was carried out in five technical training institutions in the North Rift region of Kenya, to evaluate the capacity of these training institutions in providing engineering training integrated with practical industrial skills for sustainable development. The research specifically focused on electrical engineering with a view to assessing the extent to which the programs prepared trainees adequately for the industrial activities and the training links with the industries. The data was collected using questionnaires which constituted thirty items, with both open and closed ended questions; which were distributed to six purposely selected institutions. The data was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential techniques. The results of this study showed that technical training institutions had insufficient resource capacity to translate training skills into practical industrial production applications; they lack modern equipment, shortage of funds to replace or renew them amongst other essential training requirements. It was also concluded that the trainers were inadequately industrially exposed to practical productive real life skills to be able to expose trainees to practical industrial skills for productive occupations. The curriculum was deficient in practical industrial production skills while the placement of trainees for industrial attachment work experience still posed a challenge. The study concluded that electrical engineering training had not been able to provide the resource capacity to effectively prepare the trainees adequately for industrial engagements. The recommendation of the study was that funds for purchase of equipment be availed and elaborate master plan be developed for intensive resource capacity, improvement and curriculum reviewed to make it dynamic and adaptive to emerging technologies, and to keep abreast with manpower labour market demands. The theme of this research was ‘Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember’.