Mombasa: The State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has launched a sensitization campaign to increase student enrollment at technical institutions across the country, with the Ahmed Shahame Mwidani Technical Training Institute in Changamwe, Mombasa, set to be among the selected institutions to undertake the enrollment campaign.
According to Kenya News Agency, Benson Mwakima, the State Department for TVET Coast Region Marketing Officer, stated that the campaign seeks to inform the local community about the skills training opportunities available at Ahmed Shahame Mwidani Technical Training Institute (TTI). The initiative targets a broad spectrum of society, including youth who completed Form Four, those who left school after Class Eight, adults seeking to acquire new skills, and individuals with practical skills but lacking formal certification, who can benefit through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme.
Mwakima disclosed that the government has reduced tuition fees from Sh35,000 to Sh22,336 per module to make technical training more accessible, with the revised rates taking effect for students enrolling in May. This initiative is part of a collaborative directive between TVET Principal Secretary Dr Esther Muoria and Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo, aimed at extending outreach to the grassroots level.
He noted that the Coast Region recorded a new student intake of 19,000 in January, a figure he described as low relative to the number of students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations and did not attain the minimum university entry grade. Mwakima emphasized the importance of acquiring technical skills for employability both locally and internationally, as well as for self-reliance and economic independence.
Changamwe Assistant County Commissioner Mebakari Rashid pledged full cooperation from the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) in the sensitization drive. Rashid emphasized that empowering youth through skill acquisition would provide them with viable alternatives to crime.
Ahmed Shahame Mwidani TTI Deputy Principal for Academic Affairs, Esther Mbuthia, highlighted the success of targeted marketing efforts since 2023, which increased enrollment from between 300 and 500 students to the current 1,187 students. Mbuthia expressed gratitude to PS Muoria for including the institution among the beneficiaries of the national marketing campaign and urged community members to take advantage of the wide range of courses offered across eight departments.
Mbuthia encouraged prospective students to join the institution, assuring them of experienced and well-qualified trainers ready to provide quality education in fields such as automotive engineering, welding and fabrication, refrigeration and air conditioning, motor vehicle mechanics, electrical engineering, mechatronics, food technology, information and communications technology, maritime logistics and transport, and clearing and forwarding.
