TVET Students will no longer Wear Gowns during Draduation Ceremonies.

This follows a new directive from the Principal Secretary in the State Department for TVET, Esther Muoria, who has asked all Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions to adopt attire that matches the course each student has studied.

Under the new plan, students graduating from different departments will wear professional uniforms linked to their skills and training.

For example, mechanics will wear overalls, while chefs will graduate in culinary uniforms.

According to PS Muoria, the move is aimed at making it easy for people to identify the field each graduand has trained in.

Speaking during the 6th graduation ceremony at Nyeri National Polytechnic, where 2,500 students received certificates and diplomas, the PS said the old academic gowns do not reflect the technical nature of TVET education.

She explained that the traditional gowns are mostly associated with universities and academic studies, while TVET focuses more on practical skills and hands-on training.

“Going forward, we are not going to graduate our students in gowns as we have been doing. Gowns are academic, and we are technical,” she said.

She added that students from different technical fields should proudly wear the uniforms related to their profession during graduation.

This means students in areas such as mechanics, hospitality, construction and other technical fields will now appear in attire that represents their skills.

PS Muoria said this change will help communicate to the public and employers the kind of training the students have received.

She noted that when all students wear the same gowns, it becomes difficult to know which field they are graduating from.

The government also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the TVET sector in Kenya.

Among the plans is the modernisation of infrastructure and the provision of modern equipment and training tools in institutions.

PS Muoria revealed that the number of students in TVET institutions has increased significantly, growing from 350,000 in 2022 to 850,000 currently.

To support this growth, the government plans to recruit 1,000 additional trainers this year.

She also said the retraining of TVET tutors to align with the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) system is still ongoing.

According to her, many trainers have already applied for CBET training, forcing the government to allow them to train in other recognised institutions apart from the Kenya School of TVET.

In addition, the PS urged TVET institutions to look for alternative ways of generating income instead of depending fully on government funding.

She said public resources are limited and must be shared among sectors such as health and education.

To reduce operational costs, institutions have also been encouraged to adopt solar power systems and rainwater harvesting.

PS Muoria further challenged TVET institutions to use their own skills internally.

She said students and staff from construction and civil engineering departments should be involved in building projects within their institutions instead of hiring outside contractors.

According to her, this will help institutions save money while also giving students practical experience.

The new graduation dress code is expected to change how TVET graduations are conducted in Kenya and highlight the practical skills that students acquire during their training.