Kenya
Project Goal
To create industry linkages and pathways for employment and self-employment in the blue economy by bridging skill gaps by recognizing competencies acquired through non-formal and informal learning while preserving and maintaining our oceans for future generations.
Project Backgrounder
The Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Recognition of Prior Learning (KBEST-14 RPL) is a two-year (2025-2027) initiative led by Humber Polytechnic and funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). KBEST-14 RPL partners will focus on delivering gender-responsive and industry-responsive basic education skills training to address emerging needs and opportunities for Kenyan youth, particularly adolescent girls and young women, in Kenya's blue economy. This project will recognize the skills and competencies acquired through non-formal and informal learning, bridging skills gaps for youth to discover employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in areas within Kenya's blue economy.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To create industry linkages and pathways for employment and self-employment in the blue economy while preserving and maintaining our oceans for future generations.
Project Backgrounder
The Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST-05) is a three-year (2024-2027) initiative led by Humber Polytechnic and funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). Humber will partner with three Kenyan institutions, Bondo Technical Training Institute, Lucy Onono Vocational Training Centre, and Mahaya Vocational Training Centre to deliver gender-responsive and industry-relevant skills training programs in Siaya County's economic potential areas of fisheries, tourism, marine transport, aquaculture, and renewable energy. KBEST-05 will provide women, youth and vulnerable populations with the knowledge and skills in blue economy sectors to generate employment opportunities and economic growth while preserving the health of our oceans for future generations.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To reduce barriers to adolescent girls’ aged 14-18 in Kisumu, Kenya and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; to create equal participation in STEM education at the secondary school level; and to provide adolescent girls who are out of school with access to gender-responsive STEM training relevant to the labour market.
Project Backgrounder
The STEM Education for Empowerment Project (STEEP) is a four-year (2022-2026), $4M initiative led by Humber College and funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Barrett Family Foundation. The project will be implemented in partnership with CAP Youth Empowerment Institute in Kenya and Hahujobs in Ethiopia. STEEP will equip adolescent girls aged 14-18 from low-income and vulnerable communities in Kenya and Ethiopia with the interest, skills and confidence to pursue studies and employment in STEM. The project’s approach will implement gender-responsive STEM education and empowerment training to break inequitable cycles that perpetuate gender imbalances in schools and employment.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To equip Kenyan youth with the skills and qualifications required to operate in the Big Four Agenda (Food Security, Affordable Housing, Manufacturing and Universal Healthcare) and Digital sectors to contribute to Kenya’s Vision 2030 of transforming Kenya into a middle-income country.
Project Backgrounder
Young Africa Works in Kenya: Youth Employability through TVET (Young Africa Works-Kenya-TVET) is a five-year partnership between Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and the Mastercard Foundation and will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the private sector in Kenya. Under this program, Humber College leads the three-year project, Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET-18, in partnership with Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Kenyan TVET institutions Sigalagala National Polytechnic (SNP) and Bondo Technical Training Institute (BTTI). The Humber-VIU team will support SNP and BTTI’s goals to build skills training programs under the TVET-18 sectors of focus, information and communications technology (ICT), engineering, electrical installation and industrial controls. The project will equip Kenyan youth with the skills and qualifications required to operate in the Big Four Agenda (Food Security, Affordable Housing, Manufacturing and Universal Healthcare) and Digital sectors to contribute to Kenya’s Vision 2030 of transforming Kenya into a middle-income country.
Major Achievements
- 6 gender-responsive and industry-relevant competency-based education and training (CBET) courses developed at each TVET partner institution
- Established gender-balanced industry advisory committees at each TVET partner institution
- 263 (78F/185M) leaders, teachers, and staff engaged in gender-responsive training to build their capacity to administer and deliver training to students at their TVET institutions
- Adopted a learner-centred pedagogy at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions
- Shift in gender perceptions across TVET institutions led to increases in female retention and recruitment in TVET courses, particularly in STEM
- Beekeeping initiative launched at Bondo Technical Training Institute (BTTI) to support female students with school fees, and business and entrepreneurship skills
- 15,811 students enrolled in courses at Sigalagala National Polytechnic, and 8,064 were women, contributing to the increase in women enrolled in STEM courses at the institution
- Donated by CICan, a shipping container was turned into a breastfeeding facility for female students and staff at BTTI
- Gender mainstreaming and sensitization across all three TVET partner institutions
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To implement a framework for recognition of prior learning (RPL) in Kenya, which will give at least 10,000 youth Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) access to 25 TVET institutions with certifications/credentials that recognize the skills and expertise developed outside of the formal education system.
Project Backgrounder
Young Africa Works-Kenya: Youth Employability through TVET (Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET) is a 5-year partnership between Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and the Mastercard Foundation and will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the private sector in Kenya. As a key component of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, the program will strengthen the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and systems in Kenya.
Within the Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET initiative, the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), Humber College, NorQuest College and Red River College will focus on giving RPL access to at least 10,000 Kenyan youth Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and the Jua Kali sector at the 25-program partner TVET institutions. Youth will have pathways to employment through training and work to recognize the skills they have acquired outside of the formal education system. RPL will increase the participation of young Kenyans, particularly women, in market-relevant skills training programs to ultimately increase the number of youths in dignified and fulfilling work in the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) Agricultural Transformation and Inclusive Growth; transforming the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) Economy; Housing and Settlement; Healthcare; and Digital Superhighway and Creative Economy.
Major Achievements
- 800 (238F/562M) youth received credentials through recognition of prior learning (RPL) services
- 510 (210F/300M) TVET trainers/industry and government partners trained on RPL implementation
- Developed a comprehensive package of RPL tools and guidelines
- Created a Gender Equality Guideline for public, private, and community-level stakeholders to embed gender strategies and initiatives into the broader RPL context
- Conducted various workshops on gender, curriculum development, competency-based education and training (CBET) pedagogy, marketing and communications, and more
- Supported the establishment of 25 Centres of Excellence for RPL
- Government policy updates to gender mainstreaming, including marginalized groups and piloted RPL initiatives at the national level
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To provide socio-economic empowerment by helping refugee women start businesses that allow artists in their communities to market their skills and talents to a global audience through digital entrepreneurial skills.
Project Backgrounder
Supported by the Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) — a national program of the Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils (ICN) made possible through funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and administered by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC) — Humber College led the Entrepreneurship + Digital Livelihoods + Creative Arts: Socio-economic empowerment of women refugees in Kenya (EDC Kenya) project with implementation partner, CAP-Youth Empowerment Institute (CAPYEI). EDC Kenya was a 12-month (2021-2022) project that addressed three challenges: women’s access to livelihoods and entrepreneurship opportunities, opportunities to commercialize artistic talents, and overcoming obstacles posed by Covid-19. Humber and CAPYEI integrated digital entrepreneurship components in skills development courses and trained participants to utilize eCommerce marketplaces and showcase talents in creative arts. Prospective or current entrepreneurs from the refugee community established online businesses using digital tools, strategies, and business practices. This project advanced gender equality by allowing women and men to be self-sufficient, independent of geographic restrictions.
Major Achievements
- At least 52 trainees could actively use digital platforms (TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram) to market their newly established and existing businesses
- About 10 new digital businesses were opened after the training, with a majority being musicians, whose art was supported on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram
- 21 existing businesses were improved after the training through strengthened record-keeping, online marketing, and savings
- 8-week hands-on mentorship conducted after the training for improved skills for trainees and feedback from mentors
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To equip Kenyan youth with the skills and qualifications required to compete in the country’s workforce and support the country’s vision of transforming into a middle-income country by 2030.
Project Backgrounder
Funded by Global Affairs Canada and managed by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Kenya Education for Employment Program was a five-year initiative focused on strengthening and supporting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Kenya through institutional partnerships between Canadian and Kenyan institutions KEFEP-02 was the consortium led by Humber College in partnership with Vancouver Island University, Durham College and Selkirk College, to equip Kenyan youth at Kisii National Polytechnic, The Kisumu National Polytechnic and Sigalagala National Polytechnic with the skills and qualifications required to compete in the country’s workforce and support the country’s vision of transforming into a middle-income country by 2030.
Major Achievements
- Established a Gender Committee, Environmental Club and an Industry Advisory Committee at each national polytechnic
- Developed the first operational breastfeeding facility at a polytechnic in Kenya (Sigalagala National Polytechnic)
- Planted 1,000+ trees at the national polytechnics, neighbouring institutions and in the community
- Established Teaching and Learning Centres at partnering Kenyan institutions
- Launched seven new courses at three national polytechnics
- 120 hours of technical training for the Programmable Logic Controller course at SNP and TKNP for trainers
- 80 hours of training across 10 days for Hydraulic and Pneumatic systems and Steam Turbine training
- 80 hours across 10 days of Solar PV training
- 880 trainees (female and male) trained by the end of KEFEP-02
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Project Goal
To amplify the number of youths in dignified and fulfilling work in the Big Four Agenda (Food Security, Affordable Housing, Manufacturing and Universal Healthcare) and Digital Sectors.
Project Backgrounder
Young Africa Works in Kenya: Youth Employability through TVET (Young Africa Works-Kenya-TVET) was a one-year partnership between Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and the Mastercard Foundation and will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the private sector in Kenya. Under this program, Humber College led the one-year Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET-07 project with supporting institutions Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Durham College. The Canadian consortium harnessed the capacity of Kenya polytechnics to develop industry-responsive training programs to produce market-driven graduates and create pathways to employment. As a result, project partners increased the participation of young Kenyans, particularly women, at The Kisumu National Polytechnic (TKNP), Sigalagala National Polytechnic (SNP) and Kisii National Polytechnic (KNP) in market-relevant skills training programs to amplify the number of youths in dignified and fulfilling work in the Big Four Agenda (Food Security, Affordable Housing, Manufacturing and Universal Healthcare) and Digital Sectors.
Major Achievements
- Three new CBET (competency-based education and training) courses launched in Food Production, ICT and Electrical Installation
- Three marketing plans were created to launch the new courses
- A sustainable model of CBET curriculum developed and implemented within the three Kenyan national polytechnics
- Delivered, administered and supported curriculum development and training at the three Kenyan national polytechnics at a distance
- 48 male and 43 female trainers trained in gender-sensitive CBET methodology, technical skills and environmental awareness at the Kenyan institutions
- A roundtable discussion group was established to identify institution-wide needs related to building awareness of gender equality activities/supports, women’s health needs/nursing mothers and exchanging ideas about campus services/policies
- Technical training in Java script, JavaFX, computer programming, graphic design and mobile application
- Three Industry Advisory committees launched at the institutions
- Procured new equipment for the three courses
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Tanzania
Project Goal
To increase participation rates among women and adolescent girls in skills training programs and improve access to business, skills, and gender and human rights training in their communities.
Project Backgrounder
The ESP-04: Empowerment Through Skills Program in Tanzania is a seven-year (2021-2028) initiative focuses on strengthening alternative pathways to education and employment for women and adolescent girls in Tanzania. The project is funded by the Government of Canada and managed by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), in close collaboration with the Tanzanian Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) through the Department of Technical and Vocational Training (DTVET). Humber College leads the ESP-04 project with Kiwanda Folk Development College and Kasulu Folk Development College, in partnership with Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (CSTJ) and Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB). Two Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Taarifa na Maarifa and ZICOSAD will support the FDCs (Folk Development Colleges) to strengthen the project’s community-level implementation. The project aims to increase participation rates among women and adolescent girls in skills training programs and improve access to business, skills, and gender and human rights training in their communities. The consortium will develop and deliver competency-based education and training (CBET), gender-sensitive pedagogy embedding an environmentally sustainable design and entrepreneurial and essential life skills to build the capacity of the FDCs for women’s social and economic empowerment.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Ethiopia
Project Goal
To equip TVET entrepreneurship instructors in Ethiopia to serve as Master Trainers to other entrepreneurship instructors in the national TVET system.
Project Backgrounder
The Design and Delivery of Master Trainer Training Program for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Entrepreneurship Instructors in Ethiopia project (Feb-June 2017) was funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Digital Opportunity Trust. Led by Humber College in partnership with Technical and Vocational Institutes in Ethiopia, the project equipped TVET entrepreneurship in Ethiopia to serve as Master Trainers to other entrepreneurship instructors in the national TVET system. With support from Humber’s Faculty of Business, Ethiopian instructors and other TVET stakeholders identified key knowledge gaps in teaching entrepreneurship. With a strong entrepreneurship curriculum, and the right blend of applied teaching techniques, case studies, and context-specific material, instructors increased their skills with practical entrepreneurship experiences. TVET instructors also coached in using digital technologies in the classroom instruction and developed lessons for the Training of Trainer (TOT). Instructors also created an online information-sharing platform for TOT participants and Canada – Ethiopia knowledge sharing was established.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Contribution
Major Achievements
- Conducted a needs assessment of the TVET entrepreneurship program and a review of the existing curriculum with key stakeholders
- Created Master Training Program teaching materials and toolkit for the 50 TVET faculty from Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar and Mekelle, who will roll out of the training to their colleagues
- Coached TVET instructors in the use of digital technologies in the classroom instruction and developed lessons for the ToT (Training of the Trainers)
- Established an online information-sharing platform and entrepreneurship community among ToT participants for Canada-Ethiopia knowledge sharing
