68,000 Youth Set to Benefit From New ‘Hustler’ Skills Certification Programme
The government has launched a new nationwide skills certification programme aimed at helping thousands of young Kenyans who gained technical skills outside formal learning institutions. The initiative targets youth who learned through experience, apprenticeship, or informal training but lack official papers to prove their abilities.
Speaking during a televised address on January 27, Labour Ministry Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime said the programme will benefit young people across the country, especially those who missed out on college or university education due to financial hardship or social challenges.
Mwadime explained that the Ministry plans to certify about 68,000 youth under the programme. The main goal is to formally recognise practical skills that many Kenyans already have but have never been officially documented.
He noted that thousands of skilled individuals have remained unemployed or underemployed simply because they do not have certificates, despite being highly capable in their fields.
“The aim of this certification is to make sure the skills of Kenyan youth are recognised both locally and internationally,” Mwadime said. He added that having recognised certificates will improve young people’s chances of getting jobs, securing contracts, or even working outside the country.
According to the Principal Secretary, the process of issuing the certificates will begin within three to four weeks. This will come after assessments and verification exercises are completed in the counties selected for the programme. These assessments are meant to confirm that applicants truly possess the skills they claim to have.
Mwadime stressed that the initiative supports the government’s broader goal of ensuring no Kenyan youth is left behind because of the inability to afford school fees or access higher education. By recognising informal skills, the programme seeks to level the playing field for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The government believes that certifying these skills will empower individuals at the lower end of the economic scale. With proper documentation, beneficiaries will be able to apply for jobs more confidently, tender for government and private contracts, or start and grow small businesses with greater credibility.
In addition, Mwadime noted that certified youth will find it easier to access financial services such as loans, grants, and credit facilities. Many financial institutions require proof of skills or qualifications before offering support, something this programme aims to address.
The certification drive is part of ongoing labour and youth empowerment reforms designed to close the gap between education, skills development, and the real demands of Kenya’s job market.
This initiative follows earlier efforts under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, where the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) assessed jua kali workers and awarded them certificates under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework.
Overall, the programme aligns with the ruling party’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which focuses on empowering ordinary citizens, especially those at the grassroots, by giving them tools to improve their livelihoods and economic opportunities.
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