Tailors, hairdressers, automotive engineers, welders and other artisans will be required to pay higher fees to acquire certificates recognising their skills if a new costing review for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy is adopted.
The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) says it is developing a differentiated unit cost (DUC) policy in a bid to articulate the cost of conducting the assessment on artisans in the country.
The State agency said it had realised that the Sh25,000 pegged on assessing candidates during the piloting phase of the programme turned out to be leaning on the lower side.
“The RPL assessment is a rigorous process involving a number of stakeholders and our draft DUC strategy is estimating it at Sh38,000 per candidate,” said KNQA acting chief executive Alice Kande.
The cost is expected to vary depending on the level an individual is being assessed for with the higher classes costing more due to the rigour applied in authenticating the evidence provided.
The RPL programme aims to make formal employment accessible to people who have gained knowledge and skills through informal training or experiential means.
Assessment of candidates for award of certificates takes at least six weeks from the time an individual submits their evidence portfolio to the KNQA.
To ensure objectivity, the agency brings on board an industry player to recheck the relevance of the evidence provided in the contemporary setting.
The RPL policy is further intended to address unfairness in tendering for contracts, which often locks out Jua Kali artisans and craftsmen due to a lack of papers.
So far, a total of 426 individuals have been assessed under the RPL pilot programme that concluded last year and that received support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Dr Kande said the KNQA will be sitting with the national implementation committee to come up with a comprehensive report on the viability of the program, the gaps in it and advice on additional stakeholders to be brought on board.
“Next week’s meeting is critical meeting because it's also going to pave the way for the official launch of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program and we will also be graduating those that went through the piloting,” she said.
Stakeholders that will be taking part in the high stake meeting will be drawn from the qualifications awarding institutions, National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), TVET Authority, ILO and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
The economic survey 2022 shows the informal sector employs over 15 million Kenyans with skills in artisan work like jua kali, welding, plumbing, electrical, and masonry among others but are not certified.
