Today, I had the honour of representing the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Hon. Julius MIGOS Ogamba,EBS,during the official opening of the International TVET Conference 2026 in Nairobi. Over the next three days, Government, industry, training institutions, development partners and TVET experts from 38 countries in Africa and beyond will engage in critical conversations under the theme, “Skills That Work: Advancing Industry TVET Collaboration for Sustainable Skills and Global Competitiveness.” The discussions will focus on aligning TVET with jobs, labour markets and industrial transformation, strengthening industry partnerships, modernising teaching and training technologies, green and digital skills, financing sustainable skills systems, gender and inclusion, qualifications recognition and the journey from training to work through dual TVET. Kenya’s TVET transformation remains anchored on a clear vision, training FROM industry, WITH industry and FOR industry. As we learn, share experiences and build partnerships, collective task is clear, to develop future-ready skills that create opportunities for young people, strengthen industry and position our economies for global competitiveness. State Department for Technical, Vocational Education & Training.State House KenyaFelix KoskeiTVET Institutions

At the Inaugural Youth Skills Development and Employment Forum held yesterday at the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences in Nairobi I called for a renewed stronger national commitment to practical skills development. I believe this is the essential foundation for Kenya's economic transformation. Addressing government leaders industry stakeholders development partners and youth representatives I emphasized that our future prosperity depends on building a workforce capable of driving productivity innovation and industrial growth. We convened this forum under a vital theme: “Unlocking Sector Investment and Workforce Competitiveness in Kenya.” I reiterated President William Samoei Ruto's vision that Kenya must rise to the level of the world's most advanced economies within this generation. I am convinced that this ambition will only be realized through the productivity discipline and technical expertise of our nation's workforce. I observed that nearly one million young people enter our labor market every year. This reality makes it essential for our national training system to produce graduates who are truly "industry-ready." I am firm in my stance that technical education must move beyond theoretical learning and focus on practical skills that deliver tangible results. In my view skills development must equip our youth with the ability to work and innovate effectively within real-world production environments contribute directly to our national output and adapt to the rapidly evolving needs of the global market. I was encouraged to see the forum bring together key figures including the Ambassador of Switzerland to Kenya Mr. Mirko Giulietti and my colleague the Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development Mr. Shadrack Mwadime. I underscored the need for deep collaboration between government industry and development partners to align our training with actual labor market demands. Through Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) and structured apprenticeship programs we are positioning Kenyan youth to become a competitive highly skilled workforce capable of driving enterprise growth. In my closing remarks I challenged all stakeholders to transform our dialogue into concrete action. I urged all the stakeholders to strengthen our partnerships to unlock investment in skills development expand employment opportunities for our young people and enhance Kenya's global competitiveness in the industrial sector.