Humber College is excited to announce it has been selected as the lead institution to support three national polytechnic schools in western Kenya as part of the Kenya Education for Employment Program (KEFEP).

The three-year, 1.668 million dollar capacity-building project is an initiative of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and is funded by Global Affairs Canada. Humber will work in a consortium with Durham College (DC), Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Selkirk College to assist three Kenyan National Polytechnics - Kisumu, Kisii and Sigalagala - to develop their competency-based education training in mechanical engineering, renewable energy and building technology.

Led by Humber’s International Development Institute (IDI) and drawing on expertise from the School of Applied Technology and Research and Innovation, the project will provide opportunities for Humber faculty to work alongside Kenyan partners, both in Kenya and through benchmarking visits to Canada.

“This is an excellent opportunity to leverage our high quality programming and faculty to make a difference in Kenya,” says Asha Gervan, Manager of IDI. “We look forward to working with Kisumu, Kisii, and Sigalagala National Polytechnics to share skills and knowledge, and support them in achieving their goals.”

The KEFEP program will help equip Kenyan youth with the skills and qualifications required to compete in the country’s workforce, and to support the country’s vision of transforming to an industrializing, middle income country by 2030. “This project will allow Humber to contribute to Kenya’s goal of providing a high quality of life to its citizens,” says Gervan. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in this important initiative.”