Assessing quality assurance mechanisms for managing competency based education and training in community technical colleges in Malawi

Abstract

Quality Assurance (QA) plays an integral part in Technical and Vocational Training (TVT). Ineffective or absence of QA is an inhibition to the realization of goals of TVT. The purpose of this paper is to assess Quality Assurance Mechanisms for Managing Competency Based Education and Training in Community Technical Colleges in Malawi. This study trails the launch of Community Technical Colleges (CTC) programme in 2015 by the government of Malawi. CTCs were established to offer life – changing technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills to school leavers under the project called “Skills for employment creation and poverty eradication”. The research was guided by Cognitive apprenticeship theory of education and followed a qualitative design. Data was collected through interviews with principals, focus group discussions with instructors and observation of processes and procedures. Five Community Technical Colleges (i.e. two from the northern region and three colleges from central region) were randomly selected and respondents were purposefully sampled for the study. The major findings from the research are that Competency Based Education and training has not been impressive because of ineffective QA at different levels. Findings indicate that a gap exists between colleges and industry. The system is open ended and there is no follow up on products to match desired standards. Lack of capacity building for instructors, absence and/ or ineffective quality assurance committees in CTCs. Insufficient funding and training resources among others render the system ineffective. The practical implication is that for TVT to be impactful on progress, employability and national development there is need for the policymakers to focus on Quality assurance of the programmes. The study has made various recommendations that require different groups at institutional level and government to work together. The government through Ministry of labour should invest massively in training in Community Technical Colleges for the success of Technical and Vocational training.