Factors influencing access to technical and vocational education and training in Bungoma East Sub-County, Kenya
Abstract
The study investigated the factors influencing access to Technical and Vocational
Education and Training in Bungoma East sub-county. The study sought to
establish the extent to which career opportunities, parental level of income,
adequacy of physical facilities and human resources influenced access to the five
registered TVET institutions in Bungoma East sub-county. The study was
conducted through descriptive survey research design. Data was collected using
questionnaires from 120 finalist youth trainees, five youth polytechnic managers
and one sub-county youth officer. The youths were selected from a target
population of 340 in all the polytechnics under study through the use of cluster
sampling technique. Data was analyzed using frequencies presented in tables,
percentages, pie-charts and histograms. Qualitative data was incorporated in
research findings on the basis of reviewed literature and field experiences. This
was shown up subjectively in comments of the researcher. The instruments were
piloted in one youth polytechnic and a reliability coefficient of 0.746 as attained
and hence accepted as reliable.
The major findings of the study were that choice of career opportunities in Youth
Polytechnics was majorly influenced by the desire to get employment even
though poor infrastructure, inadequate and lack of qualified teachers
compromised quality training offered to trainees. Moreover, it was found out that
youths lacked information about career choice and advancement besides their
long held believe that Youth Polytechnic courses are for the failures in national
examinations. The study also found out that 60.3% of the respondents parents
were peasant farmers with no meaningful income in addition to having many
children due to polygamous set up. In relation to physical facilities, the study
found out that Youth Polytechnics had inadequate physical facilities and finally, it
was found out that the Youth Polytechnics lacked enough trained and qualified
teachers.
The study concluded that access to Youth Polytechnics is influenced by the
trainees desire to get jobs, poor social-economic background , inadequate physical
facilities that impacts negatively on quality training and finally inadequate and
low quality training experience among teachers which affects quality graduates.
The study recommends for improvement of quality education and training by
providing bursary funds to needy students, improvement of infrastructure and
provision of adequate and qualified teachers. The study further recommends for
study to establish the relevance of VET curriculum in production of competent
graduates in VET. Additionally, a similar study with a much wider focus be
carried out in the larger Bungoma county and also an independent study focusing
on youth perception towards youth polytechnics.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Subject
Vocational educationDescription
Master of Education in Economics of Education
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5980]