Trainers from 20 Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions in the North rift region have received high-level training on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme which is implemented by the government through the State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to ensure every Kenyan with a skill is assessed and awarded certificate in the specific area of expertise.
Speaking during the second phase of the training of trainers on RPL assessment and certification, at The Eldoret National Polytechnic (TENP), Eldoret, Uasin Gishu, The TVET Director Dr. Meshack Opwora noted that they are targeting Over 15 million Kenyans from all industries have the skills to assess them and award certificates.
“We are training an army of trainers and assessors who are going to assist us to ensure that we reach out to everybody else who has a skill and has no certificate,” said the TVET Director.
He affirmed that RPL certification is of great benefit to skilled Kenyans since it is the same as the other one but the method of acquiring it is different but the end product is the same, noting that the industry will not be able to differentiate the certificate because the competency required for that certification will be the same and that certificate is both nationally and internationally recognized.
He indicated that the state department is implementing a competency-based curriculum which has been modelled into parts and portions with specific skills which will serve as the key parameters used to certify these individuals in full or micro accreditation or partial certification depending on the skill possessed by the individuals.
Dr Opwora called on Kenyans with skills but no certificates to seek certification from TVETs noting that the programme is an opportunity for all Kenyans who have various skills to have their certification or documentation which is always required when people seek employment, contracts or even further learning in the formal institutions.
“When people seek employment or contracts, they are asked for certificates but these people have skills with no certificate. they don’t need to struggle; they just need to come to our TVET institutions and they will be guided on where to go and what to do to get the certificate.”
RPL Delivery Unit Director Stanley Maindi emphasized that the programme is identifying, assessing and certifying the millions of skilled artisan workers in the informal economy so that they are able to get certificates.
He said that since the launch of the policy in march last year, the government started by building capacity by having specialized training for the trainers so that they are able to go out across the country in order to assess and certify the individuals with skills in their various areas of expertise.
“This is the second series of the workshops that are going on in the country. We started last week by training trainers in the lake region and coastal and Mt Kenya regions, today we are in the north rift and western regions,” he said.
Additionally, the initiative involves training master craft persons from the Jua Kali sector, people who are practicing in the industry but not trainers, on how to assess and certify prior learning.
“The aim of this programme is to target over 15 million skilled Kenyan artisans who are driving our economy in the informal sector but they do not have certification hence are inconvenienced when it comes to competing for opportunities like seeking formal employment, contracts and others,” explained The RPL Director.
Maindi pointed out that the government has enhanced capacity of all TVET Institutions like TENP as qualification assessment and awarding institutions so that someone who has a skill but no paper can easily walk into a TVET institution not for training but just for assessment and get a certificate which is as good as the certificate of the person who has gone through a normal school system.
He commended the programme which is trending in the country which has seen over 5000 skilled artisans so far being assessed and certified since the launch of the policy in march 2024.
“Recently KNQA did a survey to see the impact of this assessment. It was discovered that so many of the 5170 certified artisans have already gotten jobs and contracts, and some are enrolling in our institutions of learning to continue learning,” revealed Director Maindi.
The RPL Delivery Unit Director further noted that the programme, working together with the Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali, is aiming at formalizing the informal sector, presenting a second opportunity for those unable to get a chance to school noting that they are targeting to see over 700000 skilled artisans certified by the end of this year.
Director Maindi indicated that RPL Is prioritized by the government in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Model (BETA) agenda by empowering skilled artisans through assessment and certification.
He said the cost is variable and they are working on it to ensure assessment cost is low and affordable to enable many of the people who are disadvantaged and unable to pay for education.
“When we assess you from where you are working we charge around Sh 5000 and when you come to our institutions, we charge you from Sh 10000 onwards. The amount depends on the level of certification you want, the higher you go with the qualification the higher you will pay,” said Maindi.
In his remarks, The Eldoret National Polytechnic (TENP) Chief Principal, Dr. Koech Charles, praised RPL as the next frontier in TVET where Jua Kali and MSEs practitioners are given opportunities through assessment and certification as he appreciated the government of Kenya for this initiative.
The Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations Regional Coordinator, North Rift, Richard Opar lauded the government for implementing the policy on the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and incorporating Jua Kali people in the training to be RPL MasterCraft persons trainers.
“We do appreciate the government for implementing this policy that has been placed down for a duration of 52 years since Kenya gained independence,” noted Opar.
He commended the Government for recognizing the contribution of the Jua Kali sector which is the bank of employment in Kenya, employing more than 17 million artisans skilled in different sectors of the industry.
By Ekuwam Sylvester and Luka Kiptanui
