DETERMINING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTERS TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AMONG SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The global emergence of vocational education worldwide remains a strategy of creating relevance in education and Kenya is not excluded. Despite the benefits offered by vocational education including skills about agricultural mechanization, Small Holder Farmers are yet to benefit from vocational training centers with regard to agricultural mechanization. The purpose of this study was Determining Institutional Capacity in Vocational Training Centers to promote agricultural mechanization among Small Holder Farmers (SHF) in Kisumu County. The study objectives examined were courses in curriculum, qualifications of tutors, facilities in training centres, equipment owned by SHF and outreach services by public Vocational Training Centers (VTC). Target population consisted of 149,983 SHF in the County, 23 VTC principals selected by census and 109 heads of departments (HoDs) selected purposively. The accessible population were 138 SHF made up of 3 male and 3 female (to balance gender viewpoint), selected within radius of 5 kilometers from a VTC and who had demonstrated interest in training and agricultural mechanization. The Sample size was 110 SHF, 21 principals and 21 HoDs respondents. Piloting involved 40 participants, comprising of 30 SHF who are not among accessible population, 5 principals and 5 HoDs purposively selected from non-public VTCs to prevent contamination. Cronbach‘s alpha coefficient was used to calculate the data. The reliability coefficient of instrument was 0.713. The data collected was modified to improve their reliability. A coefficient of 0.70 was accepted as reliable. Interview guides for principals and Focus Group Discussion, facilities observation guides, questionnaires for HoDs were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics of mean, frequency and percentages were applied to analyze data. Findings can enable VTCs to empower SHF, get more facilities and to form income generating units. Study established that VTCs curriculum offer fourteen courses that are related to promotion of agricultural mechanisation. Findings also established that qualifications in terms of highest level of training, professional qualification, competencies, experience of tutors was relevant. It also determined that hand tools, equipment, machinery and physical facilities in VTCs were relevant but inadequate, that SHF used hand tools for manual labour whereas electricity was the most available facility while wheelbarrows, petrol pumps, chicken drinkers and knapsacks were the most available equipment. Finally, study established that outreach and awareness of services offered by VTCs is very minimal among SHF