FACTORS INFLUENCING TRAINING COSTS IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGES IN KENYA: A CASE OF MURANG’A UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Florence W. Kariuki - Kenya Methodist University, Kenya
David M. Nyamu - Karatina University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The study sought to find out the factors influencing training costs in university colleges in Kenya a case of Murang’a University College. This was occasioned by the fact that the university colleges charge different amounts in terms of the fees apportioned to the varying study programmes. The university colleges have different parameters and standards which they use to determine the amounts of fees charged. The different programmes in the university colleges equally are a motivating factor as regards the training costs determination. There is a government policy guiding and defining the amounts of fees payable for the government sponsored undergraduate programmes while the self sponsored programmes in the university colleges are tailor made to suit the demands and dictates of the target markets mainly from an income generating perspective. This brings along a great variation in the training costs driven by the underlying factors. The variables guiding the study were: - the courses offered, the budgetary provisions, students enrollment and the course duration. The study had an emphasis of finding out how the variables influenced the costing for training. The study employed a descriptive research method and the population of interest to the study were members of the non-teaching staff working in the departments of finance, administration and quality assurance and members of the teaching staff. Data was collected by use of questionnaires to gather primary data and secondary data was accessed by way of interrogating the institution’s records. Data analysis entailed descriptive and inferential statistics. The study had the following findings: - most of the respondents considered the relationship between the demand for programmes and the cost for training to be highly correlated, budgetary appropriations played a significant role on the training costs determination, the students’ enrolment influenced training costs. The enrolment of students into the university colleges assured them of constant and sustained revenue accruing from the fees paid by them for the services offered and the time taken to complete an academic programme had an influence on training costs determination. In the event of long programmes, longer time was taken and the cost of actualizing the programme ultimately went higher when pegged on the periods of time expended in actualizing the services. The study made the following recommendations: - university colleges should structure their training programmes and courses in a manner that appeals to the target niche markets. This is because findings from the current study have confirmed that the clientele have no inhibitions about paying high fees for particular academic programmes that they require. University colleges should seek to have their budgetary appropriations aligned and made to fit the demands of the programmes that they have on offer. They should seek to have all the monies appropriated for particular vote heads strictly adhered to and spent on them to ensure that the consumers of the services get value for money. University colleges should seek to have modalities in place that ensure basic provisions for attracting students to take up their programmes. They should equally ensure that the quality of the services offered is upheld despite of the enrolment levels. The university colleges should seek to synchronize the course duration to the amounts of fees charged. This is driven by the fact that in many instances the university colleges have other underlying factors motivating the amounts of fees charged for particular programmes.
