01The question
CareerNext helps students who may not reach a university cutoff find TVET courses instead. Many can't afford to move far from home. So: if a student wants a registered TVET course in their own county, how much choice do they have?
02The data
- The public TVETA register: 5,966 course offerings at 911 institutions in all 47 counties.
- 221 courses at three levels: Artisan, Craft and Level 5 (diploma).
- One snapshot. It lists licensed offerings, not places or intakes.
03How we measured
For each county we counted offerings, institutions, and how many of the 221 courses can be taken there. We compared the result with an even spread: about 127 offerings per county.
04What we found
Even spreadActual
- Top 5 counties
- Even spread:10.6%Actual:35.2%
- Bottom 10 counties
- Even spread:21.3%Actual:3%
| Even spread | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 counties | 10.6% | 35.2% |
| Bottom 10 counties | 21.3% | 3.0% |
Findings:
- Choice is concentrated. Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega hold over a third of all offerings.
- A typical county offers about a quarter of all courses. The median is 52 of 221. Only Nairobi, Kiambu and Nakuru offer half or more.
- Some counties have very little. Lamu has 5 courses, West Pokot 8 and Isiolo 9. Neither West Pokot nor Isiolo lists a diploma course.
- Many courses exist in one place only. 48 of 221 courses are offered in a single county.
05What it means for CareerNext
These are ideas to test, not changes already made.
- Show students how many courses exist in their county, and which nearby counties add the most choice.
- Flag courses offered in only one county, because they mean moving.
- Label every TVET result with the date of the register it comes from.
06Limits
- Offerings, not places: the register doesn't say how many students a course takes, or whether it runs this year.
- Not adjusted for population or number of students per county. That's the next step.
- TVETA-registered courses only. KMTC, teacher-training colleges and universities are not included.
- One snapshot, so we can't say whether the gap is closing.
07Status
Concluded. The next version will compare offerings with the number of students in each county.