The true measure of technical and vocational education should not be the time spent in college or the certificate earned, but the person a trainee becomes after undergoing training, Kiharu Technical and Vocational College (TVC) Principal Dr Daniel K. Wahungu has said.
Dr Wahungu challenged trainees, staff and faculty at the institution to view education as a transformative process that should produce skilled, confident and responsible members of society.
He said the question facing graduates in the world outside college would not be whether they attended Kiharu TVC, but what the institution helped them become.
“Nobody will be interested in whether you came here or you did not. The question will be, what did Kiharu TVC make you become?” Dr Wahungu said.
He said the institution’s success should ultimately be measured by the impact it has on the character, confidence, skills and sense of responsibility of those who pass through its doors.
Dr Wahungu posed a series of questions to trainees, asking whether their time at the college had made them more skilled, confident and responsible.
He cited the transformation of students who may initially struggle to express themselves in public, saying education should give them the confidence to face people and participate meaningfully in society.
“Did Kiharu TVC make you skilled? Did it make you more confident?” he asked, stressing that such transformation was central to the purpose of education.
The principal said responsibility should be an equally important outcome of learning, noting that academic and technical qualifications have limited value if they do not translate into responsible conduct.
“If education does not make you responsible, then what was the use of you going to school?” he posed.
His remarks come as Kiharu TVC continues to position itself as an institution focused not only on imparting technical knowledge but also on nurturing talents, strengthening character and preparing young people for an increasingly competitive and technology driven economy.
The college has branded itself the “Home of Technology and Innovation”, with an emphasis on equipping trainees with practical skills that can be applied in employment, entrepreneurship and emerging areas of the digital economy.
The institution is also set to host a one week digital skills training programme through the Jitume initiative and the Ministry of TVET.
The training, scheduled for October 12 to 16, 2026, at the Kiharu TVC Jitume ICT Lab, will target trainees and community youth seeking practical skills in digital marketing and e-commerce, including the use of artificial intelligence.
The programme is expected to expose participants to opportunities emerging from the rapidly expanding digital economy, where online platforms, e-commerce and artificial intelligence are increasingly changing how businesses operate and how young people earn a living.
The initiative reflects the growing emphasis by TVET institutions on complementing traditional technical training with digital competencies demanded by the modern labour market.
For Kiharu TVC, however, Dr Wahungu’s message suggests that skills alone are not enough.
The college’s broader mission is to produce graduates who can combine technical competence with confidence, discipline, innovation and responsibility.
The principal also challenged trainees to consider how their progress compares with those who did not complete their education, arguing that the distinction should be visible not merely in academic credentials but in conduct and contribution to society.
His message places character formation alongside technical training as a key pillar of education, particularly at a time when employers increasingly demand workers who can demonstrate practical competence, adaptability, communication skills and professionalism.
The Jitume training programme is therefore expected to provide another avenue through which Kiharu TVC can extend its skills development mandate beyond enrolled trainees to young people within the wider community.
Participants will be encouraged to acquire practical digital skills that can support employment, entrepreneurship and income generating activities.
The college is urging prospective participants not to miss the opportunity, with the programme offering a pathway for young people to learn, develop new competencies and explore opportunities in the digital marketplace.
For Dr Wahungu, the ultimate legacy of Kiharu TVC will not simply be the number of students who graduate from its programmes, but the quality of people who emerge from the institution.
The message is that a college certificate should mark the beginning of a productive journey rather than the end of education.
At Kiharu TVC, the stated ambition is to perfect skills, nurture talent and build character producing graduates capable of applying their knowledge, standing confidently before others and taking responsibility for their choices and contribution to society.
