Helb to finance students in technical colleges

From left, Helb CEO Charles Ringera, RVTTI Principal Edwin Tarno and Dr. Owaso Olubunmi, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa, during the institute's Third International Conference on July 9, 2014. Mr Ringera, who was the chief guest, said Helb would give more financing to TVET students. PHOTO/JARED NYATAYA

What you need to know:

  • A vote head of Sh300 million had been set aside for such students.
  • Mr Ringera said the government had allocated more funds for the technical and vocational education students across the country.
  • Initially Helb’s captive market for TVET was only the 48 TVET colleges within the Ministry of Education Science and Technology.

The Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) is undertaking reforms aimed at revolutionising higher education financing in Kenya.

Helb chief executive Charles Ringera said the reforms include a new approach towards financing of students in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, as a key component in the government’s development agenda.

He said a pot of Sh300 million had been set aside for such students.

The state corporation is mandated with sourcing, establishing, managing and awarding loans, bursaries and scholarships to Kenyan students pursuing higher education at recognised institutions.

Speaking during the official opening of the third Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) International Conference in Eldoret, Mr Ringera said the government had allocated more funds for the technical and vocational education students across the country.

NEW LOAN TARGETS

“The government committed Sh100 million during the 2011/2012 financial year.

Come 2013/2014, on top of the bursaries of Sh100 million, a further Sh300 million was allocated specifically as loans to TVET students so as to ensure that students in recognised institutions of higher learning and TVET institutions were facilitated to pursue their education and training,” Mr Ringera said.

Wednesday’s ceremony was also attended by, among others, RTVVI chief executive officer Mr Edwin Tarno, Dr Olubumni Owoso, the secretary general of the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa and Mr Isaiya Nyaribo, a senior deputy secretary at the Ministry of Education Science and Technology.

Initially, Helb’s captive market for TVET was only the 48 TVET colleges within the Ministry of Education Science and Technology.

But following the formation of the Technical Vocational Education and Training Association (TVETA) and also the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, as a successor of the Joint Admissions Board (JAB), Helb now also targets students in other TVET institutions.

FOCUS ON RESEARCH

Mr Ringera reiterated that Helb was committed to supporting institutions of higher learning, be it TVET or the universities, and urged them to make research a priority in order to develop solutions to the day-to-day problems facing the country.

“Helb has released Sh54.3 million to various students in TVETs as bursaries and loans of which a remarkable 15 per cent was given to the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute,” the CEO said.

He was also optimistic that TVET student financing will succeed just like university financing following engagements with other government ministries in regard to resource pooling and alignment.

The theme of the three-day RVTTI international conference is "Towards Transformative TVET: Competencies for the Current and Future World of Work."

Various speakers from Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Uganda were expected to address the conference.