Informal sector workers and youth in Kajiado North have been urged to obtain formal certification of their skills through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme to improve their access to employment opportunities locally and abroad.

Ngong Ward MCA Mbiriri Mwaura said the programme would enable people who had acquired skills through apprenticeships and on-the-job training in workshops, garages, and other informal settings to have their competencies formally assessed and certified.

Speaking during an RPL sensitization seminar at Ngong Technical and Vocational Training Centre (TVC), Mwaura said certification would enhance opportunities for employment and self-employment, including under the government’s labour migration programme.

“We have a chance through RPL for people who are already skilled through apprenticeships in workshops and garages to be formally certified,” said Mwaura.

He urged leaders, businesspeople, and well-wishers in Kajiado North to support informal workers to undergo the assessment and certification process.

Mwaura said he would sponsor the first 50 people from the area to register for the programme and would support another 50 as enrollment progresses.

Ngong TVC Registrar Mary Njogu called for increased support for the programme, saying formal certification would enable informal workers to access opportunities that require recognized qualifications.

Marianne Wambui, a cosmetologist from Matasia Town, said certification would give her documentary proof of her skills when seeking employment.

“This programme will give me knowledge and proof of it, so when I go anywhere to look for work, I have my skills in my hand,” she said.

Collins Oduor, a welder and fabricator in Ngong Town, said obtaining a certificate would improve his chances of securing better-paying jobs, including opportunities abroad.

“Getting a certificate from the programme would help me access many opportunities that I have constantly missed. It would also increase my chances of achieving my dream of travelling abroad and competing for better-paying jobs to support my family,” he said.

Ngong TVC RPL Coordinator Jackson Koiga said the programme assesses skills acquired through informal learning and gives successful candidates formal recognition.

“RPL is an assessment. If you are a tailor and know how to make dresses, that skill needs to be assessed and recognized formally,” he said.

The center offers RPL assessment and certification in various areas, including construction, carpentry, tailoring, catering, and child protection.

About 100 youth attended the sensitization seminar and were issued with registration forms to enroll by Friday.

Those who register will undergo assessment by Ngong TVC in collaboration with the Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC).

Self-sponsored candidates will pay Sh3,000 for the certification process.

The RPL programme is designed to recognize competencies acquired through informal learning and work experience, enabling skilled workers without formal qualifications to obtain nationally recognized certification.

By Byron Ouma and Angeline Otieno