Kenya's Education System Transitions to Competency-Based Curriculum Amid Rising Youth Unemployment

Strategic Insights -

Kenya's education system has undergone significant changes and diversification over the years, transitioning from the old curriculum to the 8-4-4 system and later to a competency-based curriculum. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector has also been overhauled via the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act No. 29 of 2013. Despite efforts to curb rising youth unemployment, the effectiveness of these reforms remains scarce. A recent study conducted by researchers at Zetech University explores the role of TVET relative to academic education in the transition of youths to the labor market in Kenya.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study finds that youth with a TVET background have stronger prospects of securing employment than those without TVET skills.
  • Enrollment in TVET institutions has increased over the past five years, with a significant growth rate.
  • The research highlights gaps in the TVET sector that hinder graduates from competing effectively with their university counterparts in the labor market.
  • The study recommends reviewing the TVET curriculum to promote holistic TVET training and match it with current technological innovations.
  • The study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the research primarily aimed to provide evidence on the effectiveness of TVET reforms in addressing youth unemployment.
  • The TVET sector has been promoted to help curb the rising rates of youth unemployment, but the evidence of the effectiveness of these reforms to date has been sparse.
  • The research employed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to generate the evidence.

Statistics:

  • Enrollment in TVET institutions has increased by 30% over the past five years.
  • 70% of youth with a TVET background have secured employment compared to 40% of those without TVET skills.
  • The research revealed a significant gap between the TVET sector and the university education system in Kenya, especially in terms of employability.
  • The study focused on two primary research questions: (i) the effect of TVET on youth employment relative to academic education and (ii) the structure and status of the TVET sector in Kenya.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Findings from Zetech University Describe Advances in Health and Medicine (The Role of Technical and Vocational Education relative to Academic Schooling in the Transition of the Youth to Labour Markets in Kenya [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]). Health & Medicine Week. August 15, 2025; p 3188.
  • The Role of Technical and Vocational Education relative to Academic Schooling in the Transition of the Youth to Labour Markets in Kenya [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. Gates Open Research, 2025, 9. (Gates Open Research - https://gatesopenresearch.org/).