The government has committed to sustaining Dual Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Dual TVET) in the Rift Valley Region beyond December 2026, as a development-supported project transitions to government-led coordination. The commitment was made during the Rift Valley Regional Dual TVET Project Closure and Hand-Over Meeting in Eldoret, bringing together government representatives, TVET institutions, employers, trainees and development partners to discuss how to preserve the programme’s gains.
Under the handover, the State Department for TVET, through the Dual Training Coordination Unit (DTCU), will coordinate and support the institutionalisation of Dual TVET in the region.
The transition is intended to embed the training model within government systems and institutional operations, ensuring that partnerships between training institutions and employers continue beyond the current project’s lifespan.
Government to Coordinate Dual TVET Implementation
James Tegeret, Director of Linkages and Dual Training at the State Department for TVET, said the transition would be critical to ensuring that the progress made under the project translates into lasting opportunities for young people. He said the next phase would focus on strengthening government ownership, sustaining partnerships and retaining the capacity developed during implementation.
“The close-out of Phase II should mark the beginning of a stronger phase of government-led institutionalization,” Tegeret said, urging stakeholders to maintain a responsive and sustainable Dual TVET system.
Gideon Murenga, National TVET Coordinator at GIZ Kenya, challenged institutional leaders to incorporate dual training into their strategic plans, daily operations and resource allocation priorities. He further said the model should become an integral part of institutional practice rather than remain dependent on external project support.
Twenty TVET Institutions Supported in Rift Valley
The current phase of the Promotion of Youth Employment and Vocational Training Project began in 2023 and is scheduled to conclude in December 2026. It builds on a pilot phase implemented between 2019 and 2022. In the Rift Valley Region, 20 TVET institutions have received support to strengthen collaboration with employers and incorporate structured workplace experience into formal technical training.
Dual TVET combines institutional learning with practical training in workplaces, enabling trainees to develop occupational competencies in environments where those skills are applied. The model is designed to improve the relevance of training by exposing learners to workplace standards, industry practices and the expectations of potential employers.
Employers Report Benefits from Practical Training
Industry participation remains central to the success of Dual TVET, with employers helping institutions align training with labour-market requirements. Benson Magolo, Director of Aubergine Restaurant in Kericho, said the programme had helped the business identify trainees with practical skills and a willingness to learn.
“I have retained about four Dual TVET trainees because their practical skills, understanding and willingness to learn are far better than what we experienced before,” Magolo said.
His experience illustrates how structured workplace learning can create pathways from training to employment while enabling businesses to identify and develop talent. Continued employer involvement will be important in ensuring trainees receive meaningful workplace exposure and acquire competencies relevant to their chosen occupations.
GIZ, Germany and Finland Support the Programme
The Promotion of Youth Employment and Vocational Training Project supports the institutionalisation of Dual TVET in Kenya. It is implemented by the Ministry of Education’s State Department for TVET, with technical support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The project receives financial support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
As the current phase approaches completion, stakeholders have identified several priorities for sustaining the model, including institutional coordination, monitoring and quality assurance, stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, knowledge management and continuous improvement. Sustained employer participation was highlighted as particularly important because it helps ensure that workplace training remains structured and aligned with industry needs.
Implementation Roadmap to Guide the Next Phase
The handover meeting is expected to inform a post-project Dual TVET implementation roadmap for the Rift Valley, to be led and communicated by the Dual Training Coordination Unit. The roadmap is expected to provide guidance on coordinating training, maintaining quality standards, sustaining employer partnerships, and improving implementation beyond the current project period.
For participating institutions, embedding Dual TVET into strategic plans and budgets will be essential to maintaining workplace learning arrangements and supporting trainees. The transition also reflects a wider effort to integrate development-supported skills initiatives into government systems so that their benefits can continue after external project funding ends.
What the Transition Means for TVET Trainees
The continuation of Dual TVET could help young Kenyans gain practical experience alongside formal technical qualifications, strengthening their preparation for employment. For employers, the model offers an opportunity to influence training content, expose trainees to real workplace conditions and identify potential recruits.
However, its long-term success will depend on sustained government coordination, adequate institutional resources and employers’ willingness to provide structured training opportunities.
As the project approaches its December 2026 conclusion, the challenge will be to ensure that the partnerships established across the Rift Valley remain active and continue delivering industry-responsive skills training.