Wildlife Conservation and Tour Guiding Program Offered at Centre for Tourism Training and Research

Conservation education and training is enriching open minds for sustainable utilization of wildlife resources as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs: 2016-2030). Conservation of the wildlife resources is one of the fundamental obligations for every generation of humanity.

Since 1999, the Centre for Tourism Training and Research has trained the youth to aid them develop and advance their careers in the tour guiding, tourism, wildlife and environmental conservation and management arena in the East African region.

Students from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi have in the past enrolled and successfully completed the programmes and are currently supporting the conservation agenda in the region. Within Kenya, we have received many students from all parts of the country. This has therefore enabled in the spread of the conservation message across the nation. With the county governments in place and various Ministries of Tourism, Wildlife and Environment require well trained and informed human resources at operational and management levels.

Ever visited a place or a site but never knew or understood what you have seen or experienced! This is the reasons why naturalists, tour guides and interpreters, of phenomena come in handy to help you appreciate every aspect of your tour experiences.

The visitors that come to enjoy their holidays are indeed in need of the individuals who will interpret all the phenomena that they encounter.

The training of the tour guides cum tour drivers at the Centre for Tourism Training and Research has been a success since its inception. The trainees are exposed to the prime tourist circuits of the country during their training. This prepares them in advance on how they can plan and develop itineraries, cost and execute tours in such regions. This has enabled the trainees to easily cope with the career easily due to the adequate training programmes that are practical in nature.

The training programmes were carefully thought out and designed with the experts in academia with vast field and training experiences. They capture the nitty gritty of the wildlife conservation and tour guiding aspects that are in tandem with the technical and vocational training, tourism regulations and other relevant legislations such as the Tourism Act 2012 and the Tourism Regulatory Authority 2014 Act .

Career path:

Tour drivers, reservations clerks, research field assistants, professional tour guides, tour interpreters, conservations assistants, and tour firm entrepreneurs among others.

For admission into this Certificate in Wildlife Conservation and Tour Guiding (CWCTG), a prospective trainee should have any of the following minimum requirements:

• Must have attained a minimum of D+ (D plus) in KCSE or its equivalents , or
• O-level certificate with minimum grade of Division IV or equivalent plus evidence of relevant academic or professional training, or
• A-level qualification with a minimum of 1 principal pass or 3 subsidiaries or equivalent.

This Certificate in Wildlife Conservation and Tour Guiding programme lasts for one full year that comprises two-semester in class and third semester for mandatory industrial training/attachment.

Before the end of the course, every trainee shall undergo an industrial training/attachment after Semester II.

Industrial attachment is an integral part of training and its assessment forms part of the final grade and certification.

WCK–CTTR in collaboration with the organization where the trainee is attached supervises the trainee during the industrial training/attachment period.

Centre for Tourism Training & Research is fully owned by the Wildlife Club of Kenya  (WCK). It responds to the challenges posed by the increasing demands for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); the need for sustainable tourism sector development in the country and contributes to career development needs of WCK ... read more