Nairobi: More than 5,000 Kenyans have received official certification from recognized institutions through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. This achievement comes a year after the RPL policy was enacted in March 2024, paving the way for millions of Kenyans with experience and competencies acquired outside traditional classrooms to gain national recognition.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative, spearheaded by the Directorate of RPL within the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), is designed to validate and accredit the skills of individuals working in the informal sector who have long been overlooked by formal education systems. RPL Director Stanley Maindi stated that through the policy, the government was working with national polytechnics to carry out assessments and issue certificates at different levels to eligible Kenyans. The institutions have been tasked with evaluating candidates based on their practical competencies and knowledge, aligning them with the National Qualifications Framework.
This initiative aligns with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which aims to empower those at the bottom through certification to obtain formal employment or negotiate better compensation. 'The certificates we are issuing through RPL are the same as those issued to those who go through the formal education system. The goal is to ensure that Kenyans with skills and competencies but who did not get a chance to go to class are assessed and awarded certificates, which they can even use to advance their studies,' Maindi said.
Speaking at Kisumu National Polytechnic, where certification assessments are currently underway, Maindi underscored the programme's importance in unlocking new economic and professional opportunities. 'Kenya continues to receive requests for workers with different skills to work abroad. Like recently, there was a request for meat cutters to go and work in slaughterhouses. Since we don't have such a course in our formal education system, we are now able to look at the skills required and assess individuals working in the sector so that we give them certificates to take up the job offers,' he added.
Through partnerships with development partners, the Directorate aims to assess and certify the 15 million Kenyans working in the informal sector. The campaign targets sectors such as food and beverage, masonry, carpentry, building and construction, CCTV technology, electrical installation, solar PV installation, electrical alarm system technology, engine technology, autobody repair and spray painting, fashion design, and fisheries technology. Maindi explained that candidates are assessed based on both oral and written tests, ensuring that certification reflects their real-world abilities.
To expand the programme, officers from the RPL Directorate will make onsite visits targeting government programmes and institutions where many Kenyans in the informal sector have been engaged. 'We are targeting the Affordable Housing Programme, county integrated markets, and Blue Economy projects. Our plan is to engage the contractors so that we assess those working with them and issue them with certificates,' Maindi noted.
Maindi stated that the minimum cost for the exercise is Sh5,500 for those visiting the various institutions awarding the certificates. However, this cost may vary depending on the nature of the tests undertaken. He encouraged Kenyans in the informal sector to take advantage of the initiative and complete the tests to secure certificates.
Beneficiaries of the programme have already begun experiencing the ripple effects of formal certification. A recent tracer study by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) revealed that the majority of those who transitioned to formal employment using the certificates were performing above par. 'Many have reported increased employment prospects, eligibility for government contracts, access to further education, and greater respect within their trades,' Maindi concluded.