The TVET Authority has partnered with BK CONSULT GmbH and other global partners in the TourEDU4All project. This is a European Union funded project whose main objective is to enhance quality vocational education and training (VET) in tourism in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) region.
Specifically, the project aims to enhance:
- Inclusive access to tourism VET by ensuring access to tourism VET for disadvantaged populations and bridging gender gaps in education and employment;
- Unemployment reduction among the Youth in the SSA region through education and training to foster socioeconomic prosperity;
- Exploitation of the tourism sector by recognising the underexploited potential of the tourism sector in SSA despite abundant natural resources;
- Networked collaboration via establishing collaborations between SSA and European Union (EU) VET institutions, as well as among SSA VET institutions, to exchange knowledge and strategies;
- Responsiveness to the labour market by strengthening the SSA tourism VET system to meet the demands of the labour market and produce industry-ready graduates;
- Development of digital pathways through addressing the lag in digital development in Sub-Sahara Africa tourism VET, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide access and mitigate constraints for underprivileged populations.
Nairobi Study Tour: 19th – 22nd of September 2024
A delegation comprising members of the TourEDU4All Project is expected to visit Nairobi for a study tour of tourism-related TVETs in Kenya. The three-day study tour will involve a visit to Kibondeni College and a workshop on the status of tourism TVET programmes in Kenya.
The Nairobi study tour will be the 3rd in a series of tours scheduled in the TourEDU4All project. The first study tour was completed in Greece at the AKMH School of Hospitality in April 2024, while the second study tour in Namibia will be done between the 14th and 18th of September 2024. The Kambaku College of Hospitality will play host during the Namibia study tour.
TVET Authority Board of Directors Chairperson, Prof. Florence Indede, who is one of the project consultants looks forward to the Nairobi Study Tour with optimism. She has commented that:
“As guided by our vision “To deliver a competent workforce for sustainable development” TVETA will continuously partner with state and non-state actors to ensure Kenyan youth acquire relevant skills which will enable them to engage in gainful employment anywhere in the World”
Furthermore, Prof. Indede emphasised that: “The Nairobi Study Tour offers Kenya an excellent opportunity to showcase her prowess in tourism VET globally. Since its inception, the TVET Authority has enhanced quality, inclusivity, relevancy and equity in TVETs in Kenya”
On his part, TVET Authority Director General and CEO Dr Kipkirui Langat stressed the need for TVET institutions offering tourism programmes to partner with the industry to enhance the quality of training and sustainable linkages with the industry.
In this regard, Dr Langat said: “TVETs–industry linkage and collaboration offer various benefits for both parties, such as enhancing knowledge sharing, increased productivity, increased competitiveness, generation of innovative ideas and quality of training.”