GRAND STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING COLLEGES IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA
Nick Ochola - Masters Student, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Lucy Kavinda - School of Business, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) is a human right as stipulated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The study’s main focus was to investigate the strategies used by private TVET institutions in Nairobi County towards the improvement of enrolment in technical and vocational training education institutions. The specific objectives that guided the study were: to determine the effects of pricing strategies on enrolment among the TVET private training providers in Nairobi County; to establish how market focus affect enrolment among the TVET private training providers in Nairobi County; to determine the effect of collaboration between middle level colleges and other institutions of higher learning on their performance; and to establish how the state of facilities, infrastructure and technology affect enrolment among the TVET training institutions in Nairobi County respectively. The study employed a descriptive research design by focusing on quantitative data. The target population was the 536 employees of private TEVT institutions in Nairobi County from where a sample of 71 employees was selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. A questionnaire was used to collect data and analysed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences application (SPSS). Validity and reliability of data collection instrument was measured using Cronbach’s alpha ratio at the threshold of 0.7 as the minimum acceptable measure of reliable instruments through a pilot test of 10 respondents who were eventually not included in the final study. Descriptive statistics used in data analysis included; percentages, mean, standard deviations, and frequencies respectively. A multiple regression model was used to show the existing relationship between dependent variable and independent variables through a regression of coefficients. Results obtained showed that pricing strategies are significant and positively correlated with the performance and increase of Enrolment of TVET institutions. Secondly, market focus strategy was found to be significant and positively related with performance and enrolment increase of TVET institutions. Thirdly, collaborations and linkages were found to be significant and positively correlated with enrolment increase and performance of TVET institutions respectively. Fourthly, technology and infrastructure of facilities was also found to be significant and positively related to performance of TVET institutions as well as their enrolment increase respectively. Based on the outcomes of the research, recommendations were offered for improvement and further research. The study recommends that TVET institutions should implement e-learning services as it was observed that majority of the institutions do not use it and yet it is an emerging trend in society. Additionally, future scholars should focus on a wider scope and include other counties since the current study’ scope was limited to Nairobi County only.
