Enhancing Green Engineering in Western Kenya: Reorienting Mechanical EngineeringCourses in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes

Abstract

United Nations instituted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 1992. Sincethen, governments across the globe have been under pressure to promote the advancement of agreen economic regime in their countries. Green Engineering is a key component of the greeneconomy initiative. To institute a green economic regime, technicians and engineers must betaught the principles of green engineering. Most of the technical manpower involvedingreenengineering projects are graduates of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training(TVET) Institutes. Initiatives to promote the advancement of green engineering inKenyamust put the TVET sector at the core. The purpose of this study was to examine if mechanical engineering courses in TVET institutes in Western Kenya were green engineering compliant. The TVET institutes based in the four counties of the former Western Province, namely; Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, and Vihiga, were evaluated. The target population comprisedall the principals, trainers, and mechanical engineering students in the 25 TVET institutes inthestudy area. Sampling was done by the method of multistage random sampling. The samplecomprised 13 principals, 75 trainers, and 952 students. Sample size tables of KrejcieandMorgan were used to determine the number of students for the study. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Standardized beta coefficients ranged between 0.247 for departmental compliance with greening principles and 0.447 for availability of government policyonthegreening of TVET. All the beta values were statistically significant at a 95 percent level ofconfidence. There was agreement that government policy on the greening of TVETinstitutesin Kenya was available. Departmental/college compliance with greening principles was thelowest Performance in green research and green curriculum was moderatelygood. Implementation of greening of TVET initiatives by the government was stagnatingontheground Targeted incentives should be provided by the government to encourage collegeprincipals to implement greening initiatives. Further, resources be availed to college headstoenable them to put in place and implement strategic plans for the greening of TVETinstitutes