The Implementation of the Middle Level TVET Program in Addis Ababa: The Case of Entoto TVET College & St. Mary’s University College

Abstract

In the current Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is regarded as a key national investment that focuses on the development of its citizens based on the principle of nation building. It is widely believed that the proper training of the youth with different levels of scientific and technical skills will contribute a lot in realizing the development goals of the country. To this end, currently, the government has designed and nation wide implemented the middle level TVET programs. Since the introduction of these programs, however, people have been continuously questioning their effectiveness. This study attempts to analyze how these programs were implemented in Addis Ababa, by taking two purposefully selected TVET colleges: St. Mary’s University College and Entoto TVET College. Besides, it also attempts to elucidate the major bottlenecks that hinder the quality of the implementation of its programs in Addis Ababa. For the execution of the study, an instrumental qualitative case study design was employed. In this endeavor, data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews and document reading. To secure the verbal data, both formal and informal in-depth interviews were conducted with students, teachers, academic deans, a vocational counselor and apprenticeship supervisors. The data collected during the study revealed that the quality of the implementation of the program is affected by many factors related to the selection and placement of the students, the design and implementation of the curricula, and the reality of the graduates’ unemployment possibilities in the country. Consequently, it has indicated that the implementation of the program in these colleges was marked by the existence of: theory-laden instructions; relatively better implementation atmosphere in the private college; and lack of awareness of the stakeholders for effecting quality implementation. Based on the findings of the study, some valuable suggestions were forwarded for those stakeholders who were frequently mentioned during the course of the study.