President William Ruto has launched three initiatives aimed at helping Kenyan artisans and other informal workers turn their skills into formal economic opportunities.
The initiatives, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), the Fundi Locator skills-matching portal and the revamped Haba Haba Savings Scheme, were unveiled during a Recognition of Prior Learning graduation ceremony at State House, Nairobi, on October 8.
At the ceremony, 3,727 young Kenyans who successfully completed competency assessments under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme received certificates recognising skills acquired outside the traditional classroom.
The Recognition of Prior Learning programme allows workers who have acquired skills through apprenticeships, work experience and informal training to have those competencies formally assessed and certified. The programme is being implemented through the National Industrial Training Authority under NYOTA.
According to Ruto, 177,338 Kenyans have so far come forward for Recognition of Prior Learning, with more than 108,000 screened and 97,134 assessed.
Under the second NYOTA cycle, 63,825 applicants enrolled, 4,543 proceeded to the final assessment and 3,727 were certified as competent.
The President said the certification should go beyond simply giving workers a piece of paper by helping them access jobs, contracts, better pay and further training.
“A certificate must be a key that opens a door. It must help a fundi find work and an artisan compete for a contract.”
He said recognising skills would also benefit micro, small and medium enterprises by improving productivity, quality and customer confidence.
The Government has also launched the Fundi Locator National Skills Matching and Exchange Portal, designed to connect recognised skilled workers with customers and employers.
Ruto said the platform was intended to reduce reliance on personal connections when looking for work by creating a digital link between skilled workers and market demand.
“Wherever talent exists in Kenya, opportunity must be able to find it,” he said.
The platform is part of a broader effort under NYOTA to improve employment systems and provide young people with better access to labour-market opportunities. Government information on NYOTA says the programme is designed to use labour-market data to connect young people with emerging sectors, skills demand and employment opportunities.
For informal workers such as mechanics, plumbers, electricians, welders, carpenters and other artisans, the Government hopes formal certification and digital visibility will make it easier to compete for jobs and contracts.
The third initiative launched was the revamped Haba Haba Savings Scheme, which is administered through the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
The scheme is designed to encourage workers earning outside conventional salaried employment to build savings and long-term financial security.
Under the NYOTA-NSSF arrangement, selected beneficiaries are enrolled into Haba Haba, with the programme providing an initial savings contribution and incentives for continued saving.
Ruto said irregular income should not automatically translate into an insecure financial future.
“Irregular income must not mean an insecure future.”
He summarised the three interventions as a progression: Recognition of Prior Learning tells workers that their skills count, Fundi Locator makes those skills easier to find, while Haba Haba is intended to help workers turn their earnings into savings and assets.
Ruto also linked the initiatives to the Government’s broader strategy of creating employment through sectors including affordable housing, digital work and entrepreneurship.
He said 303,910 affordable housing units were under construction and argued that the projects were generating demand for masons, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, painters and other skilled workers.
The President also said more than 45,000 opportunities had been created through ClimateWorX and green public works, while more than 350,000 digital opportunities had been generated through Jitume Labs, TVET digital hubs and the wider digital economy.
He further said more than 701,000 Kenyans had found employment abroad in sectors including healthcare, agriculture, hospitality and construction.
For youth entrepreneurship, Ruto said the Government plans to use the NYOTA Business Support Programme to reach young entrepreneurs across all 1,450 wards.
NYOTA is a government and World Bank-supported programme covering youth employability, employment opportunities, savings and employment systems. Its wider interventions include business support, skills recognition and digital training on accessing government opportunities.
Ruto said the ultimate objective was to ensure that a person’s economic prospects are not determined solely by their level of formal education.
“Your economic destiny must never be decided by how far you went in school. With a skill, an idea and determination, you can build an enterprise, create jobs, and serve your country.”
The President said the Government’s ambition was to move beyond preparing young people to seek employment towards helping them create jobs and build businesses.
For the thousands of Kenyans working outside formal employment, the success of the new initiatives will ultimately depend on whether certification translates into actual contracts, customers, income and greater financial security.
About the Author
