Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have been urged to strengthen partnerships with The African Talent University (TATU) and technical universities to transform students’ innovations into viable businesses and employment opportunities.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the World Talent Conference 2026 in Kisumu, Dr Meshack Opwora, the National Director responsible for Technical Education, expressed satisfaction with the level of practical creativity, innovation and talent demonstrated through projects showcased by students at TATU.
Dr Opwora challenged TVET institutions to move beyond conventional approaches to technical training by embracing closer collaboration with TATU and technical universities to ensure that innovative student projects do not end at exhibition and demonstration stages but are developed into commercially viable enterprises.
” We must ensure that the practical creativity displayed by our students finds a direct pathway to the market. Stronger institutional partnerships will allow students to refine their prototypes, leverage advanced technical expertise, attract investor capital, and ultimately build enterprise ready businesses capable of creating jobs for others,” Dr. Opwora noted.
He noted that stronger institutional partnerships would create opportunities for students to refine their innovations, access technical expertise, attract investment and eventually establish businesses capable of generating employment.
The National Director further indicated that he would recommend policy reforms informed by TATU’s approach to talent development, recognition of experience, practical education and entrepreneurship.
He said the university’s model offered important lessons on how technical education could be linked more closely to practical skills, innovation and enterprise development. However, his remarks represented an intention to recommend policy changes and not an announcement of an already approved Ministry directive.
The call for stronger collaboration came as conference organisers reported that TVET institutions scooped the three leading overall project awards, highlighting the growing contribution of technical training institutions to innovation and practical problem solving.
TATU has been advocating for a more integrated approach to talent development, bringing together assessment, project development, technical validation, investment and enterprise creation.
The approach seeks to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the world of work by ensuring that students’ ideas and practical abilities are nurtured into sustainable ventures that contribute to economic development.
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