Dr. Ekrah: Championing TVET, Competence and the Skills Economy

KENAPCO Chairperson Dr Ekrah Ndungu planted a commemorative fruit tree in the Institutions Orchard corner

The National Chairperson of the Kenya National Association of Private Colleges, Dr. Ekrah Ndung’u, deserves special recognition for her bold, informed and forward-looking leadership in Kenya’s TVET sector. At a time when the country is searching for practical solutions to youth unemployment, industrialisation and the widening gap between education and the demands of the labour market, she has consistently placed competence, practical skills and equal opportunity  at the centre of the national conversation.

Dr. Ekrah’s message is both timely and powerful: Kenya cannot build a competitive economy by producing graduates who have certificates but lack the practical skills required by industry. The future belongs to institutions that equip young people with the competence to create, innovate, work and solve real-world problems.

Her insistence that “there is no private student and no public student; every student is a Kenyan  reflects a profound understanding of equity in education. Her advocacy for equal access to government financing for students in accredited private TVET institutions is not simply a demand on behalf of private colleges; it is a call for fairness, inclusion and a stronger national skills-development system.

Dr. Ekrah is also challenging Kenya to look beyond the traditional obsession with academic degrees. Globally, TVET is increasingly recognised as a critical pathway for building productive economies, addressing skills gaps and preparing young people for rapidly changing labour markets.

Dr Ekrah in her speech talked of ecomies like Germany,Korea and China,China offers a powerful illustration of this shift. China has scrapped 12,200 degree programmes and downgraded 600 universities to TVET institutions, in a deliberate effort to produce skills that are relevant to the economy and industry. The message is clear: modern education systems must evolve with the needs of their economies and place competence and practical skills at the heart of national development. 

This global experience echoes Dr. Ekrah’s argument that Kenya must place competence and skills at the heart of its education and economic transformation agenda. A degree has value, but a qualification without practical competence cannot by itself drive industrialisation, innovation or employment.

Across the world, countries are increasingly strengthening vocational education because industries require technicians, artisans, engineers, digital specialists, machine operators, healthcare workers, construction professionals and other practically skilled personnel. TVET is therefore not an alternative for those who cannot pursue university education; **it is a strategic pillar of modern economic development.

Dr. Ekrah’s insistence on equal financing for learners in accredited private institutions is therefore part of a much bigger conversation. Kenya needs to expand its skills-training capacity, and private TVET institutions can play a major role in complementing public institutions.

Her proposal for public-private partnerships that allow institutions to share modern equipment, facilities, trainers and expertise is particularly compelling. Such collaboration would give more young people access to practical training while making better use of resources already available within the education system.

Dr. Ekrah is, in essence, asking Kenya to change the way it defines educational success. The measure should not simply be how many certificates we issue, but how many competent, productive and innovative young people we produce.

Her advocacy deserves applause because she is speaking for a generation that needs opportunities, not just academic credentials; skills, not merely certificates; and competence that can translate into employment, entrepreneurship and industrial growth.

Kenya needs education leaders who can see beyond classrooms to workplaces, beyond certificates to competence, and beyond today's jobs to tomorrow's opportunities. Dr. Ekrah is emerging as one of those important voices and thought leader — courageous, articulate and firmly committed to ensuring that TVET receives the recognition it deserves in Kenya and globally. A renown sought after speaker globally who recently echoed the same thoughts during United Nations Convention in Bangkok.