Digital platform opens employment pathway for TVET graduates

James Wamwangi, Country Coordinator Pays-Kenya, Dr Hellen Kabue, Mukuru Slums Development Project Programmes Coordinator Ann Muthoni and Prof Salesio Kiura during the launch of Dalma platform in Nairobi on September 24, 2026. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] 

TVET graduates with technical skills now have a new pathway to employment through a digital platform that connects them directly with employers, internships and industrial attachment.

The DALMA platform also provides training in entrepreneurship and employability, helping young people improve their CV-writing skills, confidence and ability to present themselves to potential employers.

The platform, launched in Nairobi, will initially target students and graduates from TVET institutions serving young people in Mukuru and Kibera informal settlements.

DALMA Project Manager Benjamin Kaluu said the platform was developed to address the gap between acquiring technical skills and securing employment.

“The app came as a tool to bridge the gap between skill and employability. When they get the skill, the tool is now taking them to employment opportunities,” Kaluu said.

The initiative is being implemented by Mukuru Slums Development Project in partnership with the Technical University of Kenya and supported by the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA).

SIFA Country Coordinator James Wamwangi said many graduates have the required technical skills but struggle to access employers and job opportunities.

He said the platform allows employers to post vacancies while graduates can identify and apply for opportunities matching their skills.

“One of the most important things about this application is that it makes employment open. The trainees and employers can identify each other through the platform,” Wamwangi said.

Beyond job matching, the platform provides training in entrepreneurship and employability, including guidance on preparing credible CVs and presenting skills to potential employers.

According to the project team, 612 students have so far been trained through the pilot programme, with 300 successfully linked to job opportunities across different trades in Nairobi.

Anne Muthoni, Programme Director at Mukuru Slums Development Project, said expanding the platform could give more TVET graduates access to employment opportunities.

She called on the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to consider adopting the platform as a national tool for connecting TVET graduates with employers.

“We look forward to enhancing it and rolling it out to the country so that it can benefit as many more youth as possible,” Muthoni said.

The platform, initially focused on Mukuru and Kibera, is now open to TVET institutions and graduates from other parts of the country.

Students can also use it to access internship and attachment opportunities, allowing them to gain workplace experience and build their professional networks.

Project organizers say increasing awareness of the platform among TVET institutions, students and employers will be critical to expanding its reach and ensuring more skilled young people transition into the labour market.