| dc.description.abstract | Engineering and technological training is a primary element in the establishment of Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training institutions. The enrollment in engineering courses has never surpassed 30% of the total enrollment in Technical and vocational education and training institutions. Under higher education, there are two polytechnic university colleges, 2 national polytechnics and 37 Technical Training Institutions that provide various courses which include; engineering, medical sciences, applied sciences, ICT, business studies among others.
The Ministry of Higher Education statistics shows that only 10,657 students enrolled in engineering courses nationally against 88,833 total enrollment in TIVET institutions representing 27.9% in 2007. In 2010 13,232 students enrolled in engineering against 121730 representing 10.86%.This shows that there was a general decline on enrollment in engineering courses in Technical and vocational education and training institutions. This study sought to establish determinants of students' enrollment in engineering courses in Technical and vocational education and training institutions in Nyanza Region Kenya.
The objectives of this study sought to establish how socio demographic characteristics determined students' enrollment for engineering courses, to examine how environmental factors determined students' enrollment in engineering courses, to assess the extent to which government policies determined students enrollment for engineering courses and to establish the extent to which the existing institutional infrastructure in Technical and vocational education and training institutions determined enrollment for engineering courses.
The study used descriptive survey design. On socio demographic characteristics, the study established that more males than females enrolled for engineering courses in TIVET institutions. Majority of the students were aged between 21-24 years and from Christian background. Most students were staying in rented houses with majority of the both parents having less than four level of education thus earning less than 10,000/= shillings per month.
On environmental factors, majority of the students agreed that lack of college fees at 75.1%, poverty at 61.4%, orphanhood at 42.2%, college levies at 19.5%, use of drugs and substance of abuse at 31.1%, indiscipline at 27.8%, peer influence at 27.8% and family size at 25.9% significantly did affect students' enrollment for engineering course. On government policies, majority of the students agreed that the government provided teachers at 26.5%, workshops at 28.1 %, laboratories at 34.3%, and that ICT at 35.4% was necessary for the engineering and that training activities were supported by business plans and guidance and counseling services.
On- institutional infrastructure, the majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the departments had links with the industry at 20.5%, parents and guardians were involved in training activities at 26.5%, the institutions were profit oriented at 26.5%, the teachers were qualified 43.5, the support staff had good public relation at 34.9, technicians were very supportive at 40.0010, the institutions had work study programme 21.1 %, the community was involved in training activities at 23.8%, the institutions was an active operator in the market training at 23.8% and that the. institutions provided career talks at 26.2% hence enhancing the enrollment of students for engineering courses.
The study recommended that institutions enhance income generating activities, increased CDF and government bursaries allocations, guidance and counseling and career talks be more entrenched to increase enrollment in engineering courses. The study suggested further research on impact of engineering TIVET programmes on job market. | en_US |
