The East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP) is currently being implemented in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, coordinated by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) at a regional level. The selection of Regional Flagship TVET Institutes (RFTIs) was undertaken through a rigorous two-stage process:
- Each country prepared a long list of potential centres based on national priorities, technical capacity, and stakeholder consultations.
- An international technical committee evaluated the proposals and verified institutional readiness through field assessments.
Through this transparent and competitive approach, 16 Regional Flagship TVET Institutes were selected across the three countries.
| Sector | Focus | Center Name | Country |
|
Transport/Infrastructure |
Railway | Dire Dawa Polytechnic College | Ethiopia |
| Railway | Ethiopia Railway Academy | Ethiopia | |
| Marine | Kenya Coast National Polytechnic | Kenya | |
| Air | National Institute of Transport | Tanzania | |
| Road | Kombolcha TVET Polytechnic College | Ethiopia | |
| Building infrastructure | Meru National Polytechnic | Kenya | |
| Highway infrastructure | Kenya Institute of Building and Highway Technology | Kenya | |
|
Power/Energy |
Power/energy | General Wingate Polytechnic College | Ethiopia |
| Geothermal | KenGen Geothermal Institute | Kenya | |
| Hydro | Arusha Technical College | Tanzania | |
|
Manufacturing |
Tool making | Federal TVET Institute | Ethiopia |
| Textile/garment | Hawassa TVET Polytechnic College | Ethiopia | |
| Textile | Kisumu National Polytechnic | Kenya | |
| Leather | DIT Mwanza Campus | Tanzania | |
| Agro-processing | Holeta TVET Polytechnic College | Ethiopia | |
| ICT | ICT | DIT Dar es Salaam Campus | Tanzania |
All the 16 RFTIs are fully operational and have made significant progress in expanding access, improving training quality, and deepening regional integration.
The project has made significant impact across the region by expanding access to modern TVET training, strengthening institutional capacities, and fostering regional collaboration. The project has registered notable achievements:
- Increased access to high-quality technical and vocational education and Training (TVET) in East Africa.
- Student enrolment increased from 6,971 to 57,857 of these 18,737 are female students.
- Regional student mobility grew from 31 to 2,057, supporting cross-border learning.
- Graduate employment within six months of graduation rose from 47% at baseline to 80%.
- Over 500 modern, industry-aligned training programmes have been developed.
- Industries across transport, energy, manufacturing, ICT and tourism now benefit from a skilled and industry-ready workforce.
- More than 337 industry partnerships (MoUs) ensure continuous collaboration on training, curriculum relevance, attachments, and internships
- 105 occupational standards and 270 curricula have been developed or updated.
- Instructors now teach in improved learning environments with upgraded facilities and opportunities for professional growth.
- So far 737 instructors completed industrial attachments.
- 184 staff participated in regional exchanges.
- 85% of facilities have been upgraded with state-of-the-art equipment.
- Capacity-building programmes have strengthened leadership and training quality across institutions.
- Partner TVET institutes have benefited from shared training resources, modern curricula, and strengthened management practices.
- 204 TVET qualifications are now mutually recognized across Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
- National TVET forums and knowledge-sharing platforms have enhanced collaboration and improved management practices.
- EASTRIP has strengthened the wider TVET ecosystem through harmonized regional standards.
- A Regional TVET Qualifications Framework (RTQF) has been adopted.
- 44 regional occupational standards and a Regional Competency Assessment & Certification Framework have been developed.
- A Regional Policy Framework for TVET Integration and a draft Strategic Framework for Green TVET are in place to guide sustainable skills development.
EASTRIP has transformed TVET in East Africa by producing skilled graduates, upgrading institutions, strengthening industry linkages, and building a harmonized regional qualifications and standards system.
The Project has developed a modern, demand-driven, and regionally integrated TVET ecosystem that responds to labour market needs and supports sustainable development across the region.