InnovateHER
for Success
Building a Pipeline of Women in STEM Through TVET– Empowering Girls and Women in STEM - TVET and Industry Collaboration in Kenya
Empowering Girls in STEM and TVET
to Innovate, Lead, and Rise
InnovateHER is a national initiative under Edsource Africa, co-designed with partners like CAP Youth Empowerment Institute, Toolkit for Skills & Innovation Hub, and supported by the State Department for TVET. It is committed to bridging the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for girls and young women in Kenya.
Why InnovateHER?
By 2030, Africa will need to fill more than 20 million STEM-related jobs in industries like green energy, ICT, agribusiness, and smart infrastructure. Meanwhile, less than 30% of technical learners in Kenya’s TVET institutions are women, and female participation in engineering, construction, and ICT remains critically low. InnovateHER responds to this gap by designing a pipeline model that supports girls from early awareness to employment or enterprise in the STEM-TVET ecosystem.
Specific objectives include:
1. Increase Female Enrollment in STEM TVET Courses
Create awareness and shift mindsets to encourage more girls to pursue engineering, digital technology, renewable energy, agritech, and advanced manufacturing.
2. Enhance STEM Training and Industry Alignment
Develop demand-driven TVET curricula in partnership with industry to ensure graduates possess the skills required by employers.
3. Strengthen Industry-Academia Linkages for Female Graduates
Facilitate internships, apprenticeships, placements for women in STEM sectors.
4. Support Women-Led STEM Startups
Provide incubation, seed funding, and mentorship for and job business female TVET graduates who venture into STEM entrepreneurship.
5. Advocate for Gender-Sensitive TVET Policies
Work with government, industry, and development partners to integrate gender mainstreaming in TVET and STEM programs.
News and Updates
KNEC to Scrap 70 TVET Irrelevant Courses
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced the elimination of 70 outdated programs...
CS urges TVET to embrace institutional branding
The Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Migos Ogamba, has hailed the recent reforms and branding of ...
STEM in Numbers: The Reason for Intervention
30%
Percentage of female enrollment in technical TVET programs
18%
Percentage of women STEM teachers - role models are scarce
08%
Only 8% of engineers and 3% of ICT professionals globally are women
20%
Percentage of tech jobs in Kenya held by women
09%
Percentage of Women TVET graduates in engineering, construction
23%
of executive roles held by Women, despite being 51% of the population
Become
Involved
Bridging the gender gap in STEM is smart development target.
Who can join this noble cause:
• An employer looking for female interns or trainees
• A mentor ready to support the next generation
• A policymaker working toward equity
• A development partner seeking high-impact programs
• A parent or teacher ready to spark a girl’s curiosity
Who can join this noble cause:
• An employer looking for female interns or trainees
• A mentor ready to support the next generation
• A policymaker working toward equity
• A development partner seeking high-impact programs
• A parent or teacher ready to spark a girl’s curiosity
Project Partners
