Training vouchers for Jua Kali enterprises in Kenya
Training vouchers for Jua Kali enterprises in Kenya
Training vouchers are at the cutting edge of pro-market education and training reforms in the North. The use of vouchers in Kenya is intended to promote private sector training provision while building on traditional forms of apprenticeship and other forms of enterprise-based training in the informal sector and encouraging cost recovery even amongst the poorest. Thus, the project attempts to combine both poverty reduction and private sector development objectives. The project envisages a "downsized and more focused role" for the main ministry responsible for the Jua Kali sector. The original intention was that Jua Kali associations would themselves be given responsibility for the distribution of vouchers to their members.
Little information is available on the outputs of the project to date. However, soon after the project became operational, it became clear that, as a result of conflicts within and between the jua kali associations along with other institutional weaknesses, other mechanisms would have to be found to manage the distribution of training vouchers.
More generally, the use of training vouchers raises many of the same concerns and criticisms that have been expressed about education and training vouchers elsewhere. Market failure in the provision of a service is especially likely when there is low frequency of purchase, high costs of making mistakes relative to the buyer's income (including opportunity costs), an inability to judge product quality, and high cost of buyer mobility.
All these factors could undermine the implementation of VET voucher schemes for the informal sector in developing country contexts. For them to function properly, it is not only essential that consumers are well informed about the training that is being offered, but also are faced with real choices between training providers. In most rural areas, in particular, the number of accredited training centres is likely to be very limited and widely dispersed which seriously pre-empts any serious choice among informal sector operators, apprentices and other workers. Finally, it is again doubtful that the poorest will be able or willing to utilise training vouchers, especially where there is some element (even very small) of cost recovery.
Sources: World Bank, 1995; Bennell, 1996.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
PAPERS
43
Learning to change: Skills
development among the
economically vulnerable and
socially excluded in
developing countries
Paul Bennell
Employment and Training Department
International Labour Office Geneva
First published 1999
Training vouchers for Jua Kali enterprises in Kenya - To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
The Micro and Small Enterprise and Technology Project in Kenya incorporates many of the key features of the Bank's overall approach to VET. The provision of training vouchers to 60,000 entrepreneurs and workers among already established jua kali (hot sun) manufacturing enterprises is the main mechanism for improving skill levels. The total cost of the project is US21.83 million over a six year period (1994/95 - 2000/01).
Training vouchers are at the cutting edge of pro-market education and training reforms in the North. The use of vouchers in Kenya is intended to promote private sector training provision while building on traditional forms of apprenticeship and other forms of enterprise-based training in the informal sector and encouraging cost recovery even amongst the poorest. Thus, the project attempts to combine both poverty reduction and private sector development objectives. The project envisages a "downsized and more focused role" for the main ministry responsible for the Jua Kali sector. The original intention was that Jua Kali associations would themselves be given responsibility for the distribution of vouchers to their members.
Little information is available on the outputs of the project to date. However, soon after the project became operational, it became clear that, as a result of conflicts within and between the jua kali associations along with other institutional weaknesses, other mechanisms would have to be found to manage the distribution of training vouchers.
More generally, the use of training vouchers raises many of the same concerns and criticisms that have been expressed about education and training vouchers elsewhere. Market failure in the provision of a service is especially likely when there is low frequency of purchase, high costs of making mistakes relative to the buyer's income (including opportunity costs), an inability to judge product quality, and high cost of buyer mobility.
All these factors could undermine the implementation of VET voucher schemes for the informal sector in developing country contexts. For them to function properly, it is not only essential that consumers are well informed about the training that is being offered, but also are faced with real choices between training providers. In most rural areas, in particular, the number of accredited training centres is likely to be very limited and widely dispersed which seriously pre-empts any serious choice among informal sector operators, apprentices and other workers. Finally, it is again doubtful that the poorest will be able or willing to utilise training vouchers, especially where there is some element (even very small) of cost recovery.
Sources: World Bank, 1995; Bennell, 1996.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
PAPERS
43
Learning to change: Skills
development among the
economically vulnerable and
socially excluded in
developing countries
Paul Bennell
Employment and Training Department
International Labour Office Geneva
First published 1999
Training vouchers for Jua Kali enterprises in Kenya - To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
|||
Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to International's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 Networking Difference In A Decade The Leadership Edge The Evolution Of Networking Telemarketing Success Employee Engagment |
|
 | ||
 |
Write The PR
Press Release Builder | |
 |
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||