By Beatrice Njenga
The review of six short programs was conducted under the component for development of demand driven programs in the EASTRIP project. The exercise served the purpose of identifying areas of improvement in the six programs and these were identified and adjusted. The major tasks of the trainers, road authorities and county governments who have been participating in the review were to cross-examine the course content, the syllabus, duration, and the entry requirements for the specific courses.
The industry accredited the Occupational Standards, Curriculum and Assessment tools for six short programs in the following areas.
- Performance Based Contractors Course (PBC)
- Low Volume Seal Roads Technology (LVSR)
- Cobblestone Paving Technology
- Driver Training Course
- Plant Operator Course
- Contract management and Administration
The development of the programs involved trainers and stakeholders drawn from the training institution and industry stakeholders including Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA),Kenya Rural Roads Authority(KeRRA),Roads Division, Mechanical and Transport Division and Materials Testing and Research Division and National Construction Authority(NCA) .The two (2) demand driven programs under development are Quality Control in Road Works and Plant, Equipment and vehicle management. These short courses targets the Road Authorities and County Governments
The exercise formed a benchmark on the identification of the skills gap in the industry and well as the emerging trends in the sector. The workshop also served the purpose of identifying specific areas of content development based on skills needed in industry.
Participants during the workshop to develop demand-driven programs.
The Writer is a Communication Officer for EASTRIP at KIHBT