Joseph Wamuga’ s implementation of his Reintegration Action Plan (RAP) impacted the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) landscape in Nakuru, Kenya for good. Since completing his Australia Awards short course in TVET Trainer Development in 2019, Joseph has implemented several impactful TVET related projects and activities in his region.
Joseph’s RAP set out to conduct training of trainers (TOT) on Competence Based Education, Training and Assessment (CBETA), on the delivery, development and conduct of assessment for TVET instructors at Nakuru Training Institute. These initial RAP objectives are link to his achievements and impact on education in general and Competence Based Education in particular. For example, his RAP objective about training the trainers on CBETA was reached with the training of the instructor trainers at the Kenya School of TVET later in 2021.
Nakuru is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya and the capital of Nakuru County, the third largest urban area in Kenya. One notable example of Joseph’ impact is the training of instructors he conducted at Nakuru Training Institute, a TVET institution, on Competence Based Education and Training (CBET), and Assessments in 2021. The training was crucial as the Directorate of Technical Education in Kenya directed all TVET institutions in Kenya to start offering CBET Courses examined by the Curriculum Development and Certification Council (CDACC-Kenya). Joseph also assisted CDACC-Kenya in validating occupational standards for the Information Communication Technology courses offered on CBET Mode to ensure currency and professionalism in these course curriculums and occupational standards.
Reflecting on his success, Joseph attributes it to his Australia Awards short course training: “When the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training in the Ministry of Education launched a Competency Based Education and Training Policy Framework in 2018, I felt the need to get additional skills. I was privileged to accept the Australia Awards opportunity to be trained on Competency-Based Education, Training and Assessment by TAFE Queensland and Queensland University of Technology in Nairobi and in Queensland. Thanks to Australia Awards I can now support the development and implementation of high-quality, skills-based TVET training and assessment programs in Nakuru and across Kenya, fostering a workforce equipped to meet market needs.”
TAFE Queensland is the statutory authority and parent body for TAFE technical and further education training in the Australian state of Queensland.
Collaborating with the Commonwealth of Learning
Between 2021 and 2023, the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) based in Canada, supported Joseph in implementing technology-enabled learning at the Nakuru Training Institute, Kenya (NTIK). This project’s success is evident in the more than 40 CBET courses Joseph and his colleague, Florence Kamonjo, developed, and are now offered in blended mode.
Blended learning practice has become more common during the COVID-19 Pandemic, combining traditional classroom instruction with online learning. The benefits of blended mode learning include flexibility and convenience, improved interaction between students and instructors and enhanced higher levels of learning. At NTIK the students also reported better time management skills because of the freedom to learn when, where and at a speed they prefer. The study also found blended learning practices improved students’ attention and increased their curiosity about the courses.
In 2023, COL published Joseph and Florence’s report with the title: Blended Learning Experiences at Nakuru Training Institute. This report presents the results of an evaluation of the blended learning experiences of students and instructors in courses developed during a technology-enabled learning project and offered in the blended mode at the NTIK. Instructors trained by COL in the implementation of blended learning, created and facilitated the courses.
A submission to UNESCO-UNEVOC
In 2023 UNESCO-UNEVOC, the International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training was impressed by Joseph’s development and submission of a Greening TVET Theory of Change. This concept based on observable, demonstrable competencies on the integration of “greening skills” in TVET courses, addresses climate change issues. Joseph was subsequently invited to present his concept at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany and he now serves as a member on the Secretariat of Greening Education Partnership under UNESCO on the UN’s Global Working Group that prepares a Greening Curriculum with the slogan: Getting Every Curriculum Climate Ready. The final document developed by a working group, was submitted at COP28 in Dubai in November 2023. In these two standards were developed and presented for use by global institutions: The Green School Quality Standard[1] and the Green Curriculum Guidance[2].
Impactful projects at the Kenya School of TVET and NITA
Another example of Joseph’s impactful projects happened in 2021 when the Technical Vocational and Training Authority (TVET Kenya) asked him to be part of the team training all instructors of the Kenya Technical Trainers Institute (now known as the Kenya School of TVET or KSTVET) on CBET. More than 140 trainer-instructors were trained during an event commissioned by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Julius Jwan and Kenya School of TVET Principal Dr Edwin Tarno. This training was significant as the school’s instructors trained all technical trainers in Kenya with the aim of improving the competence and quality of most of the trainers in the TVET sector. Since the training, KSTVET reported to have trained over 7,000 TVET instructors on CBET across the country[3].
Furthermore, Joseph supported the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) as a test developer in computer studies courses for Competence Based Assessments of computer technology skills. This formed part of Kenya’s Youth Employment Opportunities Program (2018-2023) funded by the World Bank. For certification, it was crucial to deliberately introduce facets of CBET in the assessments of the Program which assesses more than 5 000 candidates in Kenya every year. Joseph also developed a short course on Facilitating Blended Learning for the Kenya School of Government.
Looking ahead
In 2023, Joseph submitted a funding proposal called Skills in TVET Without Walls (SKITWALL) to the Skills Initiative for Africa of AUDA-NEPAD on behalf of Nakuru Training Institute, where he is the principal. Joseph’s initiative to compile and submit the proposal paid off as it received a grant of 322,000 Euros. This project focusses on implementing job-specific, competence-based training to youths through blended learning to improve their employability.
The SKITWALL project provides online skills training and use Skillsticks – devices allowing learners to access learning content without the need of internet. The devices reduce the barriers of internet access and travelling, as they go where the students are. This funding serves as a catalyst for Joseph’s mission to empower youth through education and skills development and is being implemented between March 2024 and July 2025. It uses a blend of online learning, practical workshops, and mentorship programs to equip at least 600 young adults with the competencies needed to thrive in the modern workplace.
Joseph still has many more plans as he wants to scale up the SKITWALL project to other cities in Kenya. The skills and competencies Joseph developed during his Australia Awards short course training, combined with his tireless implementation of his RAP objectives and plain hard work, ensured that Joseph impacted and continues to impact the TVET landscape in Kenya for the good.
For more in formation, please visit:
Connect with us
Any questions?
If you cannot find the answer on our FAQs page, feel free to get in touch by emailing .