700 skilled workers in informal sector to receive certificates

A welder mounts in the trunk pipeline electrochemical protection. [File, Standard]

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua will on Friday oversee the award of certificates to some 700 Kenyans who gained expertise but lack formal education.

These will be the first cohort of graduates under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy.

The award will mark the launch of the policy that will allow those who have gained work experience over time but do not have formal education to get certificates.

Kenya National Qualification Authority (KNQA) will award the initial cohort of candidates who will serve as the pioneers of the policy.

The award will recognise knowledge, skills, and competencies that have been acquired through practical work over time.

KNQA acting director general Alice Kande said implementation of the policy will act as a bridge to facilitate the transition from informality to formality.

This means, successful skilled workers will now get certificates, diplomas or even degrees depending on the level of expertise they will portray.

Dr Kande said the policy is in line with the Kenya Kwanza Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda and will spur economic growth in the country.

"This seminal opens up a bountiful frontier of new opportunities for the millions of Hustlers who are the lifeblood of the Kenyan economy," she said.

The policy was approved by President William Ruto's Cabinet in January and will see hundreds of Kenyans awarded certificates based on their practical skills.

Dr Kande said the policy seeks to address a long-standing gap that has seen those working in the informal sector but their contributions haven't been fully recogniSed within the national framework.

This RPL framework brings together basic education, Technical Vocational Education and Training, university education, industrial training and lifelong learning to enable better coordination and harmonisation of qualifications across the various sectors.