Edukans Kenya country director Ms Mary Mugo./HANDOUT

The government has urged technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions to fully adopt the green curriculum and equip graduates with the skills needed to respond to climate change and a changing economy.

The call was made on Monday during a two-day Greening Movement benchmarking forum at the Kenya School of TVET in Gigiri, Nairobi.

The forum, organised by Edukans Kenya in partnership with the Ministry of Education’s State Department for TVET, has brought together more than 100 stakeholders, including TVET principals and trainers, industry players, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), student innovators and officials from Kenya and Ethiopia.

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Edukans Kenya country director Ms Mary Mugo./HANDOUT

Speaking on behalf of the Principal Secretary for TVET, Ministry of Education official Anne Kamonjo said TVET institutions should integrate the green curriculum into the national training system.

“TVETs must champion soft skills in greening and fully adopt the green curriculum that has been developed and integrate it into the national training system. We cannot train graduates for yesterday’s economy. We must build solutions that make life sustainable,” said Kamonjo.

She said strengthening the capacity of training institutions was critical to addressing climate change and its effects on communities and learners.

Kamonjo cited rising water levels in lakes such as Lake Baringo, which she said have displaced communities and learners.

“The answer to climate change is in our classrooms and workshops. When we teach a young person to turn waste into a product, we are teaching them to protect the lake, protect the land, and create a job,” she added.

The forum is being held under the Wear the Green Future programme, launched by Edukans Kenya in 2024 to promote environmental conservation and green entrepreneurship in the fashion and textile industry.

The programme trains young people on sustainability and circularity, including eco-friendly colouration, recycling and reusing old garments and waste, and the use of sustainable textiles.

Edukans Kenya Country Director Mary Mugo said the programme had progressed beyond its pilot phase, reaching more than 3,000 young people.

“We started in 2024 with a question: can waste create jobs? Today the answer is yes. We have reached over twenty industries and MSMEs with eco-friendly products and supported over three thousand young people who have embraced innovation in the green future,” said Mugo.

Mugo called for stronger links between TVET institutions and MSMEs to help turn student innovations into marketable products.

“Our youth are not lacking creativity; they are lacking market linkages and support. We need to tap into their creativity, connect them to MSMEs, and ensure that what is made in our TVETs can be sold in our markets. That is how the greening movement becomes a green economy,” she said.

The forum is also providing a platform for cross-border learning, with a delegation from Edukans Ethiopia sharing how the model is being adapted to address textile waste in urban centres while creating opportunities for marginalised youth, particularly young women.

Students from participating TVET institutions displayed products made from recycled and reused materials, including upcycled denim bags, patchwork school uniforms, mats made from plastic waste and home décor items.

The meeting is expected to conclude with stakeholders agreeing on a joint action plan to institutionalise the green curriculum, strengthen industry partnerships for marketing green products and scale up youth-led green enterprises in Kenya and the region.