EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRY ON TRAINING FOR SKILL ACQUISITION: A CASE OF NORTH RIFT REGION

Abstract

The prerequisite that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutes fuse a working environment experience for understudies before they graduate has gotten remarkable accentuation in the ongoing past. This participation is alluded to as industry-TVET organizations collaboration on training. The cooperation is an indispensable part of preparing expected to provide students with a chance to gain and improve learning, aptitudes and frames of mind from genuine work understanding. With learning, innovation and occupation attributes all changing quickly, today there is an all-inclusive issue of keeping the substance of instruction advanced. The rapidly changing work environment has led to modifications in job content, skill requirements and the demand for knowledge. These changes have called for collaboration between industry and technical institutions with the aim of enhancing market relevant skills. Research and policy papers point out existence of collaboration between industry and TVET institutions but minimal research have been carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of the industry-TVET institution collaboration. This thesis sought to assess the effectiveness of industry- TVET institutions collaboration with the aim of offering recommendations that can help better the collaboration. The study focused on TVET institutions and industries in the North Rift region. The research adopted a descriptive survey design. The study targeted workplace supervisor, lecturers/industrial attachment coordinators and students of technical training institutions in north rift region. Using stratified random sampling, the researcher identified a total of 848 respondents comprising 712 students, 104 lecturers/industrial attachment coordinators and 32 workplace supervisors to participate in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedule. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were employed in data analysis. The study found majority of the students (over 60%), lecturers (over 90%) and workplace supervisor (over 80%)asserted that TVET institutions - industry collaboration has achieved its objectives. Majority of the respondents (above 60%) also confirmed that industry- TVET institutions collaboration on training is relevant on skill acquisition. Finding also showed that majority of the lecturers and students (over 70%) affirmed that the coordination and supervision in industry was adequate. On the role of industry regulators that accredit TVET institutions training, majority of the lectures (72.1%) reported that the main role of accreditation body is inspection of training equipment. Majority of the students (95.9%), lecturers (93.8%) and workplace supervisors (94.2%) stated insufficient funding was the main challenge encountered in the collaboration. Despite the challenges faced by industry- TVET institutions collaboration on training, the study concluded that collaboration between industry and TVET institutions was effective. However, hands on practical knowledge and skills are paramount to TVET and should be supported through strengthening financial support towards TVET institutions - industry collaboration.