State urges traders to have skills certified

Traders sell vegetables at Marikiti market, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Kenyans in informal employment, including mama mbogas (grocers) and cleaners, have been asked to have their skills certified under the government's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy.

Stanley Maindi, the director of RPL delivery unit at the State department of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), says the process to recognise all skills that are not certified at formal institutions was underway.

Maindi asked mama mbogas and other traders in the informal sector to go for assessments at national polytechnics across the country.

Speaking during the unveiling of an RPL centre at the Eldoret National Polytechnic on Thursday, Mandi said mama mbogas and cleaners, as well as persons working in construction sites, were free to apply for recognition and certification of their skills.

"You don't have to be a specialist of anything. You can narrow down to a specific field. If you are good at roofing, you can be certified in that area," said Maindi.

Maindi, who represented TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria at the ceremony, said at least 17 million Kenyans working as artisans in the jua kali sector had crucial skills but had no corresponding certificates.

He said several other Kenyans with life-changing skills were in private businesses.

Eldoret National Polytechnic Chief Principal Charles Koech said the institution has been working with industry players to identify and certify skills.

"We will be assessing and certifying skills among the youth and adults. We are grateful that we are mandated to carry out RPL certification," Mr Koech said.

Koech said the jua kali industry has been supportive of the policy and urged more skilled Kenyans to have their skills recognised.

"We laud the support we are getting from Jua Kali artisans. We urge the public to seek recognition, assessment and certification from certified RPL centres," he said.