Keeping Our Markets Open: A Post-Training Evaluation of the Cogni-Constructive Performance on Welding and Fabrication Centrations in the Kenyan Jua Kali Sector Using the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition

COVID-19 mandates and laws after the 2020 outbreak resulted in closure of most public markets in Kenya. The Technical University of Kenya responded to this closure through the “Keep Our Markets Open” initiative which resulted in design of COVID-19 compliant permanent and mobile stall prototypes. The urgency to mass-fabricate these stalls meant integrating NGOKAMKA, an umbrella outfit for Jua Kali artisans into the project, using the “Training on the Job” methodology. The success of this programme encouraged the National Government to mainstream Welding and Fabrication in its flagship projects. This study aimed at establishing the level of competencies of various centrates within the Welding and Fabrication sector and checked if knowledge and skills imparted to the trainees were diffused to their colleagues in their respective workshops. Questionnaires were used to survey fabricators domiciled in government run active construction sites. Levels of competencies for centrates considered core were higher than competencies for centrates considered fringe. This was influenced by factors like repeatability, personal safety, client demand and levels of return. The study recommends measures like improving coherence in training and validation amongst the various bodies, transferring training to the actual workshops and improving collaboration amongst stakeholders.