Review and Upgrade of the In Company Trainers Guide in Kenya At International Labour Organization

Project overview

The PROSPECTS partnership is a collaboration of the ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR, IFC and the World Bank, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Netherlands, which aims to complement humanitarian assistance with a development approach focusing on the nexuses between education (including skills development and training), protection and employment. This is significant given the displacement trends with UNHCR projecting that Kenya is likely to continue to be amongst the top refugee hosting countries in Africa. **

Under the partnership, the ILO intends to increase the number of refugees and host communities’ members with quality education and skills training and help transform the way governments and other stakeholders including the private sector, respond to forced displacement. The ILO interventions will serve to make refugees and members of the host communities more attractive in the labour market, by ensuring that they have skills that are in demand, and that these skills are recognised and certified. By so doing, the project will mitigate their plight during years of exile and best prepare them for their return through socio-economic inclusion and strengthen the resilience of host communities through inclusive socio-economic development.**

To respond to its interventions, the programme puts a lot of focus in strengthening government institutions and Authorities at National and County level for sustainability of its interventions and primarily to ensure inclusion if refugees in government planning, strategies and policy frameworks.

Background and context of workplace-based training programs in Kenya

The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) is a state corporation established under the Industrial Training Act Cap 237 (Amendment 2011). Its mandate is to promote the highest standards in the quality and efficiency of Industrial Training in Kenya and ensure an adequate supply of properly traInternational Labour Organizationined labour at all levels in the industry.

As a regulatory body, NITA is mandated and not limited to developing industrial training curricula; Integrating labour market information into skills development; Harmonizing curricula and certificates of competence; assessing industrial training, testing occupational skills, and awarding certificates including Government Trade Test certificates. An important statutory mandate of the Authority is to regulate and facilitate industrial training in a rational, transparent and predictable manner, which will spur a globally a competitive and adequate workforce for industrial development.

Workplace Based Training, or Industrial training programs as referred to in the Industrial Training Amendment Act CAP 237, 2012 covers industrial attachments and apprenticeships. This covers industrial attachments where students/trainees/attachés are placed in both formal and informal enterprises to gain knowledge and practical skills, under the guidance of In- company Trainers and Master Craft Persons in the informal sector and expert workers in formal employment.

Work-based learning (WBL) is often seen as a powerful vehicle for developing workplace skills and promoting productivity of labour force. Realising the potential of WBL requires firms and trainees to engage in WBL that effectively increases productivity. Understanding the dynamics of the cost and benefits of WBL and ensuring that those are reflected in the design of WBL schemes is essential to ensure that firms provide high-quality WBL and trainees perceive WBL as an attractive option.

According to the ILO Tool Kit For Quality Apprenticeship Vol 2, module three; The participation of enterprises in the implementation of quality apprenticeships depends primarily on two main factors: first, whether they are willing to offer apprenticeships, second, whether they have the capacity to offer good quality training and comply with the standards for training and working conditions specified by their applicable national laws and regulations. This entails capacity building of mentors, supervisors, in company trainers, fellow staff and entire management who will be in direct contact with the trainees to ensure they adhere to the training standards and are able to deliver the training in the right way.

It is worth noting that, training is not the core activities of most industries and as such, it is imperative to build the capacities of industry staff to transfer the knowledge and skills to trainees, which involves training them on modalities of training/ pedagogy of education and didactics to achieve excellent results in work-based learning. This is one of the most important pre-requisite and building blocks for implementation of an apprenticeship scheme; the trainer’s ability to effectively and efficiently transfer knowledge, skills and attitudes to their trainees/attachés

Further, the ILO BUSY project conducted a study on past and present, international and local, public and private, including community and faith-based WBT initiatives/programs for vulnerable and marginalized youth in Kenya. The Study revealed that most of the WBT implementers, especially Master Craft Persons (MCPs) do not have sufficient knowledge and pedagogical skills for training and mentoring apprentices. They therefore fell short in implementing quality [1]and effective formal and informal apprenticeships for vulnerable young men and women.

Rationale of the Assignment

In-company mentors/trainers/supervisors are directly responsible for interacting with apprentices, imparting practical training, and introducing them into the work during the on-the-job part of the training.

Their main roles and responsibilities are to:

• Ensure that the apprentices work and learn in the occupation as specified in the contract and as per agreed training programme ;
• Plan, organize and implement the training in the enterprise;
• Monitor, assess and record the progress of the apprentices’ skills acquisition;
• As the focal point for in company training , coordinate with other sections and workers in the enterprise, as well as with external partners involved in the training process (e.g. TVET institution, public authorities for education and employment);
• Prevent and resolve conflicts by mutual agreement, and if this is not possible, follow the predetermined conflict settlement procedures (e.g. in-company staff regulations, collective agreements, Labour Code).
• Provide special care for apprentices with learning difficulties, disabilities and other limitations;
• Ensure safety and security at work for apprentices.

It is therefore important to build capacities of In-company mentors/trainers/supervisors to improve the quality of workplace based training programs for youth in the country including refugees. In this regard, reviewing and upgrading the existing in company guide is required for the purposes of enhancing their respective knowledge and skills for developing and offering quality and effective formal and informal WBT programs for young men and women. The training guide should also target both host community and refugee youth and enhance social cohesion and peaceful coexistence principles in WBL. NITA wish to review and upgrade pedagogical and mentorship skills of In-company trainers and MCPs as one of the recommendations that were made by the Situational Analysis (PSA) studies carried BUSY project in 2019.

The pilot training program will be implemented in the three project implementation counties, namely Turkana, Garissa and Nairobi

Approach to the assignment

Apart from the following guiding principles in developing the Skills upgrading guide, the consultant (to be identified by NITA and the ILO) is expected to determine; 1) WHO is the training program for? 2.) WHAT should be captured in the in company training guide? Lastly 3) HOW is the guidelines package going to be used once it is developed.

a. Review existing in company training guides from within Kenya and outside

b. Establish gaps on existing guides

c. Propose annotated structure of the revised guide for review and comment. The structure should clearly indicate flow, sections, design and possible topics to be covered. Upon review by NITA and ILO

d. Develop the first full draft

e. Pilot the guide with selected accompany trainers and MCPs

f. Document feedback and integrate

g. Submit for final review and Validation

h. Submit to copy editor and designer or this will be done by ILO

Description of tasks

A competitively-selected consultant or firm shall undertake the following tasks under guidance of ILO project team and NITA;

a. Submit an inception report to design curriculum guidelines

b. Desk review of workplace Based Training theory; Curriculum guideline for upgrading Pedagogy and Mentorship skills In-company Trainers MCPS, WBT local initiatives report, among others to;

a. Identify and address the Pedagogical needs/issues/problems

b. Determine the characteristics and needs of the target audience

c. Design the learning goals/outcomes – the changes intended amongst the In-company Trainees.

d. Design curriculum guidelines appropriate for upgrading pedagogy, didactics of training and mentorship skills of In-company trainers.

e. Integrate the two guidelines for both formal and informal apprenticeship into one curriculum guideline (Section A- Formal Apprenticeship, Section B- Informal Apprenticeship)

f. Develop appropriate methods to accomplish the intended outcomes

g. Design evaluation strategies for the methods, content and intended outcomes

h. Submit timely reports as agreed with NITA and the ILO.

The inception report should include but not limited to:

i. Understanding of The training cycle theory in training curricula development

ii. Workplace based training (WBT) approach and understanding of WBT issues raised in the available reports.

iii. Description of the target groups and their expected entry behavior

iv. Curriculum goal/objective; and specific objectives

v. Curriculum content

vi. Curriculum delivery duration ;an 8-hour day duration recommended for each module

vii. Delivery methodologies; adult learning methodologies emphasized

viii. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms

ix. Indications of inbuilt review mechanisms

x. Recommended piloting approach

Competence and Expertise Requirements of the consultant

NITA in collaboration with ILO shall ensure that the consultant has the necessary educational background and professional experience to carry out the assignment.

The consultant should meet the following requirements;

a. Education:

· University Degree in Education Technology or any other social sciences with a focus on training and education or related field. Advanced degree/ postgraduate training in Curricula development, Education Assessment is recommended.

b. Professional Training and certification.

· A KICD recognised curricula developer will an added advantage

c. Skills:

· Must possess good communication skills, both oral and written. Excellent writing/editing commands of English is an asset.

· Have facilitation and training design skills

d. Experience:

· Have proved track record and experience in designing and implementing adult training approaches with focus on workplace facilitation and training

· At least ten years of experiences working in curricula development, technical education setting as a trainer, assessor or examiner;

· Sound knowledge, understanding of relevant training approaches skills and

· Proven experience and expertise in adult learning methodologies

· Have understanding of how learning takes place in informal enterprise

Expectable deliverables and timeline

1. The main deliverables of the assignment will be:

a. An inception report detailing how to address all tasks in Description of Tasks; identified gaps existing in current guide (s); draft structure of the training guide detailing approach and sections and content topics;

b. The draft Skills upgrading guide composed of training and mentorship modules as appropriate

c. Final In-company training guide to be used to train In-company Trainers and MCPs

d. A work plan for the pilot Training in the Three Counties

1. All deliverables are expected to be complete within 2 months, beginning on October 15, 2021 and concluding by December 31, 2021.

Resources and Administration

ILO will allocate a total of USD 10,000.00 to the service provider to undertake this assessment. An Implementation Service Agreement developed by ILO Project team will give a detailed guidance on financial use and fund disbursement. The funds disbursement installments will be based on the assessment deliverables listed below:

1^st Installment

30% (USD 3,000)

Upon approval of the Inception report by the ILO and NITA

2^nd Installment

60% (USD 6,000)

Upon approval of the Draft training program report by the ILO Specialists

3^rd Installment

10% (USD 1,000)

Upon approval of the final training program report by the ILO and NITA

The Tasks of NITA and the ILO

a. Shall ensure all relevant documentation is up to date and easily accessible (in electronic form in a space such as Google Drive) by the consultant from the first day of the contract.

b. Provide transportation to counties;

c. Provide logistical support for meetings, including In-company trainers participation facilitation;

d. Printing of publicity and awareness materials;

e. Through WBTCC support selection of In company trainers during the pilot; and

f. Secure introduction meetings with the project stakeholders.

Consultant Selection Criterial

ILO will evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical responsiveness and financial feasibility. **

Incomplete and applications received after the closing date will be disqualified. The project will notify the selected candidate two weeks after the close of applications date.

Contract Terms and Application Process **

ILO’s IGDS Number 224 (Version 1) shall guide deliverables and payments on External Collaboration consultancy assignments.

[1] Quality Apprenticeships are a unique form of technical vocational education and training, combining on-the-job training and off-the-job learning, which enable learners from all walks of life to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies required to carry out a specific occupation. They are regulated and financed by laws and collective agreements and policy decisions arising from social dialogue, and require a written contract that details the respective roles and responsibilities of the apprentice and the employer; they also provide the apprentice with remuneration and standard social protection coverage. Following