Analysis of Factors Influencing Students’ Decisions in Selecting Public Tvet Institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The Kenyan government has improved Technical Vocational and Training Institutions (TVET) to give young people the opportunity to acquire the technical and practical knowledge needed in the employment market. Accordingly, it created the TVET Act, the TVET authority, Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), and Higher Education Loan (HELB). These reforms have caused an influx of students in some TVET institutions, while some have experienced low enrolment. Notably, some students choose to join colleges where their friends are, while others join a program but discover that they are not interested in that profession and therefore change the course. In other instances, students request to transfer from one TVET institute to another. This raises questions about the choice criteria and how students make selection decisions. The study's goal was to investigate the variables that affect students' decisions about public TVET institutions in Kenya's Nairobi County. The objectives covered physical facilities, staff, trainees' employability skills, courses provided, and government regulations, and their influence on students' decisions to enroll in public TVET institutions in Nairobi County. The 1982 Jackson model served as a framework for the investigation. A mixed methods strategy was used in this study, which used a descriptive survey research design. At TVET institutions in Nairobi County, the study focused on 349 module three trainees, six principals, and six officers in charge of admission. Initially, the student body was divided into three distinct groups based on the type of TVET and subsequently categorized by their academic year. A sample size of 349 students was selected using the simple random technique from each stratum. The study deliberately selected only a limited number of principals and admission officers to participate, as they constituted a small group. Questionnaires were self-administered on students, while interview guides were used on principals and officers in charge of admission. The validity and reliability of the research tools were evaluated in accordance with the given standards. Quantitative data was analysed by calculating percentages, means, and standard deviations. The relationship between variables was tested using Spearman correlation and ordinal logistic regression analysis, whereas qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis. According to the findings, there is a strong positive association between physical facilities, staff adequacy, trainees' employability skills, courses offered and students' choice decisions for public TVET institutions in Nairobi County. These factors jointly account for a 33.5% variation in students' selection decisions for public TVET institutions. However, physical facilities were inadequate and dilapidated, while staff adequacy, knowledge and competency posed severe challenges. These had implications for trainees' employability skills and the courses offered in TVET institutions. The government should avail funds for developing physical facilities and refurbishing the old ones. It is imperative for the Ministry of Education to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at actively involving and retaining a competent and sufficient workforce. MoE should also institute capacity-building programs for the existing and new trainers. IT should ensure a continuous curriculum review of all courses offered. A policy by MoE is also needed to enhance linkages with industries to enhance practical training, industrial attachment, and internship. Principals of TVET institutions should establish the employability of their graduates, institute awareness programs, and strengthen career counselling and mentorship programs for students. They should also seek to enhance collaborations with development partners and employers