The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) has set an ambitious target of assessing and certifying 420,000 Kenyans through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) initiative by the end of October this year.

RPL is a process that validates and acknowledges skills, knowledge, and competencies gained through informal or non-formal learning, such as work experience or life experiences, against formal qualification standards.

This move aims to enhance the employability and global competitiveness of workers whose skills were acquired outside formal training.

The initiative forms part of the presidential directive under the National RPL Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), which tasks government agencies with assessing and certifying one million Kenyans within the same period.

NITA’s acting director, Theresa Wasike, announced during a virtual briefing with management staff at the inaugural meeting of the RPL steering committee. The committee was formed to drive the nationwide rollout of the program.

“The deputy president is very specific on RPL, particularly regarding the numbers,” said Ms Wasike. “On our part, we must maintain the highest quality standards to preserve the credibility of our certification and the candidates.”

She commended NITA teams already involved in the rollout and urged staff to approach the initiative with professionalism and integrity.

She emphasised that the certification must strictly adhere to Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) standards, especially because many of the certified individuals may participate in international labour mobility programs.

“We cannot afford to compromise the image of the Authority or the country,” she added.

So far, NITA has enrolled nearly 2,000 candidates through collaborations with partners such as Shining Hope for Communities I(Shofco), which has pledged to bring in 1,000 more, and the Nyandarua County Government, which will certify 400 of its staff.

Other stakeholders supporting the initiative include the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, the Danish Refugee Council, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, and Kibra Technical and Vocational College.

To bolster the nationwide effort, NITA will convene a strategic forum with County Executive Committee Members for Education and Vocational Training from all 47 counties next week.

The meeting will explore collaboration pathways for scaling up RPL implementation at the county level.