Unlocking skills: The case for recognising prior learning in Kenya

Kenya’s education system has evolved significantly, incorporating various policy and program improvements aimed at national development. Despite these advances, a crucial aspect of socioeconomic growth—recognition of prior learning—remains largely untapped. Harnessing this potential could unlock vast opportunities for Kenyans.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process that acknowledges learning acquired through multiple pathways. According to the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), this involves identifying, evaluating, and validating an individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes, regardless of where or how they were acquired. This is particularly relevant as only a fraction of Kenyans access formal job skills training through tertiary institutions, while millions gain work skills through on-the-job training.

Kenya’s workforce has demonstrated its potential through skills acquired via apprenticeships, the Jua Kali sector, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. However, these informally or non-formally obtained skills often go unrecognised, limiting their contribution to the labour market and national progress. This mismatch between the education sector’s output and the labour market’s demands is further exacerbated by shifts in the digital space, climate change, urbanisation, and evolving consumer preferences. Formal training institutions have struggled to keep pace with these changes, leaving many workers to acquire skills outside formal educational systems.

Kenya’s Vision 2030 highlights the importance of a skilled workforce for socioeconomic development. Yet, systemic barriers in formal education and the exclusion of informally acquired competencies have created a shortage of skilled workers. Recognizing and integrating non-formal skills into the formal system is essential to bridging this gap and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) four (Quality Education) and eight (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Democratising knowledge and skills

Millions of Kenyans in the workforce, including welders, plumbers, and electrical workers, have honed their skills through apprenticeships and on-the-job learning—methods historically foundational for knowledge transfer. Yet, these individuals often remain excluded from the formal job market, where certified recognition could significantly enhance their earning potential. This exclusion perpetuates socioeconomic inequalities and, to some extent, criminalizes poverty.

RPL offers a solution by enabling individuals to gain formal certification for skills acquired through non-formal means, levelling the playing field for those who have paid their “school fees” through years of experience and underpayment. By assessing and certifying skills through state measures and metrics, bodies like the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and NITA ensure that certified individuals meet professional standards, safeguarding both workers and consumers. Certification through national bodies also ensures rigorous skills testing, maintaining high standards and safety for all Kenyans.

Kenya’s embrace of RPL is a significant step toward recognizing diverse forms of knowledge. This approach democratizes knowledge by focusing on the skills themselves rather than the method of acquisition. Historically, formal education systems were shaped by colonial views that dictated who could access, claim, and transmit knowledge. RPL helps decolonize education by valuing marketable skills obtained through informal means, breaking barriers that have excluded many from formal certification.

Building a skilled workforce

Kenya’s move to implement policies and initiatives that validate and certify prior learning is commendable and should be scaled up. The RPL policy framework is a critical step, and its success hinges on collaboration among government bodies, educational institutions, industries, and the private sector. This cooperation will ensure the policy’s effective rollout and sustainability, aligning it with the needs of the economy and society.

The KCB Foundation’s flagship program, 2Jiajiri, exemplifies how public-private partnerships can enhance equitable access to education and training. Since its inception in 2016, 2Jiajiri has provided vocational training scholarships to unemployed East Africans. The program focuses on sectors such as agribusiness, construction, the green economy, and the creative economy, ensuring people acquire market-aligned skills. To date, 2Jiajiri has created over 150,000 jobs, trained over 36,000 individuals, and incubated nearly 11,000 businesses. It also supports RPL through partnerships with national bodies and training institutions to certify professionals in the housing and construction sector, including welders, carpenters, electricians, floor tilers, masons, and sheet metal workers.

By facilitating RPL, 2Jiajiri has enabled many to transition from the informal to the formal sector, unlocking higher earnings and inclusion in the formal job market. This initiative demonstrates how recognizing and investing in prior learning can transform lives and contribute to national development.

The path forward

RPL is not merely a policy adjustment but a commitment to inclusivity and progress. It acknowledges the resilience and efforts of individuals who have built their skills through non-formal means, offering them opportunities for professional growth and societal contribution. Failure to embrace RPL perpetuates inequality and denies many Kenyans the chance to achieve their potential. Moreover, RPL allows the job market to harness the knowledge and skills of an adaptable workforce, essential for driving Kenya toward Vision 2030.

Kenya’s future depends on nurturing and recognizing a workforce that meets market demands while harnessing the untapped skills of its people. Through collaborative efforts and sustained investment in RPL, the nation can build a skilled workforce ready to drive innovation, economic growth, and social equity.

Written by Mendi Njonjo

The writer is the Director of the KCB Foundation