How TVET modular training can speed up SDG goals attainment
By Shadrack Agaki, July 21, 2025The 2025 UN Sustainable Development Goals Report is out and reveals that the world has made significant progress in only 35 per cent of the SDG indicators.
Notably, about 110 million more children and youth have entered school, with completion levels rising since 2015.
By 2023, 92 per cent of the global population had access to electricity, while internet usage rose to 68 per cent in 2024 from a low of 40 per cent in 2015.
Yet, one in every 11 people globally still experiences hunger. Billions lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Climate change continues to worsen, with 2024 recording the highest average temperatures ever documented, and over 270 million globally still illiterate.
The big question then becomes: can TVETs contribute meaningfully to addressing these challenges and advancing attainment of Sustainable Development Goals?
This question has been occupying my thoughts. It was reignited this past week during the World Youth Skills Day 2025, held under the theme “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills”.
During the conference, the role and spirit of TVETs in advancing sustainable development were strongly felt.
It began with a keynote speech by Dr Esther Muoria, the principal secretary in the State Department for TVET.
She made a passionate case for young people to embrace technical skills and digital learning, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing digital infrastructure – such as JITUME labs in technical institutions.
The modularised model, she said, holds transformative potential for development, as the curriculum is designed with the industry, for the industry, and tailored for short training stints.
By breaking training into modules that can be completed in about three months, young people will gain relevant, work-ready skills quickly, enabling them to engage in productive activities offering solutions, especially in rural areas.
However, for TVETs to deliver the desired impact, enhancing the capacity of trainers is critical.
During a panel discussion on World Youth Skills Day, I posed a question about how trainers can effectively deliver the modularised curriculum to align with sustainable development.
The response on the panel from the Kiambu National Polytechnic chief principal was impactful:
“Trainers should enrol in the ‘Traffic University’ — referring to trainers continuously updating their skills and knowledge. But that’s not all. Mainstreaming green concepts is essential.
The writer is a UN global food systems Youth Leader, a vocational and technical Trainer, and a communication Consultant