Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) is a public technical training institute located in the highland city of Eldoret, Kenya. It was founded in 1962, and is one of oldest standing Technical Training Institutes in the country. Rift Valley Technical Training institute began as a technical and trade school, eventually turning into a high school in 1979. At this time the institute offered mathematics, chemistry and physics. In 1986, the school was elevated once more to become the region’s first technical training institute.
Currently, student enrolment has grown to over 5,000 as of 2015 with a teaching staff of 108 (TSC), about 30 part-time lecturers and 65 members of non-teaching staff. Rift Valley Technical Training institute was a launching pad for Eldoret Polytechnic, University of Eldoret and the School of Health Sciences at Moi University. The institute is a post-secondary technical, industrial, vocational and entrepreneurial training (TIVET) institution and is a direct outgrowth of the increasing demand for technical manpower.
The institution offers Artisan, Craft, Diploma and Higher Diploma Courses geared toward practical industrial applications. Rift Valley Technical Training institute(RVTTI), has 8 admitting departments; these are: Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Department, Building and Civil Engineering Department, Business and Development Studies Department, Electrical and Electronics Department, Hospitality and Dietetics Department, Information Communication Technology Department, Pharmacy and Chemical Sciences Department, and Medical Lab and Biological Sciences Department
In an effort to provide quality education to its students the school is equipped with:
- A sizable state of the art library complex with a seating capacity of 700
- An e-library with a seating capacity of 60
- 3 conference halls
- 3 restaurants
- Several labs for Bio Chemical Practicals, ICT, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building and Civil engineering
- Several lecture rooms some equipped with Smart Boards
- 2 smart classrooms which offer advanced engineering exposure in the fields of Mechatronics and Renewable energy. The smart classrooms were equipped by Devotra with funding from the Ministry of Education.
- A standard sized football pitch
- A basketball court
- A volleyball pitch
- A rugby pitch
- A netball pitch
Research is a primary focus in the school and to this end the Rift Valley Technical Training institute holds an annual international conference known as the RVTTI International TVET and Interdisciplinary Research Conference. In addition to discourse, a research paper competition is also undertaken. It also publishes two journals namely; Kenya Journal of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (KJ-TVET) and Africa Journal of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (AfriTVET).