Current practices and prospects of technical and vocational education and training (tvet): the case of east wollega zone

Abstract

It is believed that the secret behind any national development is citizens’ competence and innovativeness. Cognizant of this, the current Ethiopian government puts TVET as the best instrument for transforming the country and lay down a new strategy since 2008 for well effecting its goal. To this end, the researcher was initiated to conduct the study on the current practices and prospects of TVET in East Wollega zone. Thus, the study was mainly focused on assessing overall practices in pre- training, while training and post training carried out at the moment. To detect the issue the study raise the question of how relevant and need based training was provided, the state in which training was provided and how the condition trainees in after their graduation. Specifically, the following thematic areas are included: the way of conducting a needs assessment at institutional level, the approaches to trainees admission, the trainers competence and training facilities, the provision of practical training, the achievement in CoC exam, the graduate trainee's employment, the links of the institutions with surrounding SMEs and the prospects of TVET. To realize the study successfully, a descriptive survey design was employed in the study. Three sample institutions Nekemte, Limmu and Gidda TVET instutions were selected using simple random sampling. From those sample institutions 45 trainers, 128 current trainees, 265 recent graduate trainees, 3 institutional deans, 3 the SMEs head office and 1 Zonal TVET head office were selected as the respondent of the study. Simple random, snow ball and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select those respondents. Questionnaire, interview, observation and document analysis were used to gather the data. Percentage and Frequency rate with qualitative description were used in the analysis of the data. To this end, the result of the study indicate as the institutions were in a very weak condition in conducting needs assessment at institutional level which is the base for the provision of demand driven training, awareness creation and assigning trainees to their choice, trainers' competence and training facilities, provision of practical training, follow up and support of graduate trainees and in link with the surrounding SMEs. Therefore, it is recommended to open the program from the very beginning at the base of accreditation direction which consider quality indicators in defining physical and human resource assets and run with the TVET principle laid down on 2008 TVET strategy.