UNESCO CONDUCTS REGIONAL TRAINING FOR TVET MANAGERS IN BEAR II COUNTRIES
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) managers have a significant role in their institutions. They need to be able to monitor and assess new training practices, understand why reform is necessary and actively promote reform initiatives. It is in this context that UNESCO organized a one-day regional training for 60 TVET Managers in BEAR II Countries, namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda, which took place in a mixed format (virtually and physically) on 12 November 2021. The training brought together the institutions from the five BEAR II countries that have worked on the training needs assessment and module development in preparation for the national workshops with TVET managers.
Hosted at the Kenya Technical Trainers College, the training focused on good practices and peer-to-peer discussions on adult training in general, as well as, good practice in capacity strengthening for TVET managers in particular. The five national partner institutions that participated in the regional training include the Ethiopian Technical University (ETU); Kenya Technical Trainers College (KTTC); Institute National de Formation du Personnel des Establishments d’Enseignement Technique et de Formation Professionnelle (INFor) – Madagascar; Morogoro Vocational Teachers Training College (MVTTC) – Tanzania; and Uganda Management Institute (UMI) – Uganda.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Saidou Sireh Jallow, Chief of Education representing the UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Nairobi, acknowledged the importance of the BEAR II project in the attainment of SDG 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. He reiterated the importance of TVET in advancing youth employment and acquisition of market-driven skills, access to decent work, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning opportunities. In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Edwin Tarno, the Chief Principal at the Kenya Technical Trainers College, noted the importance and timeliness of the BEAR II project in benefiting the technical trainers as it cuts across the pillars of social economic development, including Greening TVET; ICT integration; strategic planning; among others.
Dr. Robert Palmer, lead consultant conducted the training beginning with outlining the objectives of the training and took the managers through the rest of the training sessions. The participants were engaged in interactive presentations with key focus on TVET management practices. The participants were trained on good practices and peer to peer exchange on adult training and participatory training methods (fact-to-face and online); making effective PowerPoint presentations; strategic and results-based planning; evaluating TVET graduates’ labour market outcomes, non-state funding; financial management; institutional leadership and management; as well as, promoting inclusivity in TVET institutions. Dr. Palmer facilitated the items outlined in the workshop agenda and module authors gave their inputs during question/answer sessions, chat, open discussions and slido.com.