Institutional Factors And The Acquisition Of Employable Skills Among Students In Technical, Vocational Education And Training Institutions In Kilifi County, Kenya

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to investigate institutional factors and the acquisition of employable skills among students in technical, vocational education and training institutions in Kilifi County, Kenya Four objectives guided the study: To determine the relationship between courses offered in TVET colleges and acquisition of employable skills among students in Kilifi County, to establish the relationship between training and learning resources and students' acquisition of employable skills at technical and vocational education and training institutions, to examine the influence of training pedagogy on students acquisition of employable, to assess the relationship between the trainer’s qualifications and students' acquisition of employable skills at technical and vocational education and training institutions. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population of the study was 2564 from one TVET institution and 14 vocational colleges in Kilifi County. This comprised, 14 principals, 200 instructors, 1200-second year finalist trainees, and 1150 graduates. A sample size of 300 was picked consisting of 5 principals, 60 instructors, 120 second year finalist trainees, and 115 graduates as the respondents. Stratified random, purposive, and simple random sampling was employed. Piloting was done in related institutions and person product was used to calculate the coefficient of correlation to ensure the reliability of the research instruments. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, descriptive and inferential statistics was computed and data presented using frequency tables and percentages. The key study findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between courses offered in TVET and vocational colleges and student’s acquisition of employable skills. The study further revealed that the courses offered were relevant to the job market while career guidance and counseling was not effectively structured resulting in disinterest in the training and fairly low enrollments. The findings also revealed that there was a critical relationship between training resources and facilities and student’s acquisition of employable skills.OInstitutions have derisory training resources and facilities and lacked technologically modern equipment to those used in industries. The study significant relationship between training pedagogy and teachers' qualifications and trainee’s acquisition of employable skills. The findings further show that teachers were quite qualified and needed professional development while trainers mainly use experimentation, lecture, and project methods due to inadequate facilities. The study concluded that the institutional factors expressively had a significant relationship on trainees’ acquisition of employable skills such as professionalism, personal qualities, creativity, and problem-solving skills to match the labour market demands. It was recommended that the government and directors of TVET and vocational institutions should partake in providing modern and adequate training facilities and equipment, career guidance and counseling services should be adequately provided. More so trainers should have frequent industrial attachments and attend TVET workshops to upgrade their skills for the impartation of employable skills, instructors should use trainee -centered methods like work-based learning, case study, and problem-based approach to inculcate employable skills necessary in the labour market.