COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has called for the formal recognition of skills gained outside the classroom, saying workers who acquire expertise through years of practical experience should have their abilities assessed, certified and linked to decent employment opportunities.
Speaking on Thursday during the graduation of 3,727 workers under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme at State House, Nairobi, Atwoli said the initiative was an important way of recognising millions of Kenyans who have built their skills through practical work rather than formal education.
He said many workers had acquired valuable technical abilities through apprenticeships, informal jobs, family businesses and other workplaces but had been left without certificates to prove their competence.
“As a country, you are experiencing. We have 1000s, indeed millions of Kenyans who have spent years acquiring valuable skills through apprenticeship, informal employment, family enterprises, workshops, construction sites, garages, salons, farms, and other workplaces,” Atwoli said.
He said the absence of certificates obtained through the conventional education system should not take away from the value of skills gained through years of hands-on work.
“And while these workers may not have had certificates obtained through normal schooling systems, they possess skills; their hands, experience, and their minds in productivity contribute every single day to our Kenyan economy.”
The push for recognition of such skills comes against the backdrop of a large informal workforce in Kenya.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2026, the number of people employed in the informal sector rose by 4.1 per cent in 2025 to 18.1 million.
Wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants alone accounted for about 10.7 million workers, highlighting the large number of Kenyans earning a living outside the formal employment system.
The 2025 Economic Survey had also reported that informal employment made up 83.6 per cent of recorded employment in 2024, while the formal sector accounted for 16.4 per cent.
Atwoli said COTU had for years advocated for systems that would allow workers to have skills gained informally assessed and recognised through formal certification.
“It is against this background that the Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya, on behalf of Kenyan workers, appreciates that the government listened to our past concerns, approved the national framework for recognition of prior learning, and empowered institutions such as NITA to translate this important policy into practical opportunities for our Kenyan workers,” he said.
He said the RPL programme should not be viewed simply as a process of issuing certificates to workers, but as part of efforts to improve working conditions and expand access to decent jobs.
“What we are witnessing today is much bigger than the presentation of the 3,727 certificates, because for us within the trade union movement, recognition of prior learning is fundamentally a workers' right and part of our fight for decent work agenda,” Atwoli stated.
The recognition of prior learning approach also forms part of international labour standards.
The International Labour Organization’s Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation, 2023 (No. 208), adopted on June 16, 2023, defines recognition of prior learning as the process of identifying, documenting, assessing and certifying competencies acquired through formal, non-formal or informal learning against established qualification standards.
The recommendation supports systems that recognise relevant skills gained in the informal economy and also provides for bridging courses where workers may need additional training to meet qualification requirements.
Atwoli said aligning Kenya’s skills recognition system with the international framework would open up more opportunities for skilled workers, including those seeking to compete in the global labour market.
“I am particularly happy today that as a country we are moving towards domesticating the International Labor Organization Quality Apprenticeship Recommendation 2023, number 208, which we ourselves, particularly from this continent of Africa, placed on the agenda at the international level,” he said.
He also connected recognition of workers’ skills with efforts to improve social protection, pointing to changes at the National Social Security Fund and initiatives such as Haba Haba.
Such programmes provide workers in the informal economy with avenues to make contributions towards their retirement security.
Atwoli also welcomed the launch of the Fundi Locator digital skills-matching platform, saying technology would play a growing role as Kenya moves further into the digital economy.
He said the platform would be important in connecting skilled workers with opportunities while making it easier for employers and clients to identify people with the required abilities.
Atwoli further called for the modernisation of the National Industrial Training Authority, including investment in modern training equipment.
He said improved facilities and equipment would help ensure that workers continue developing skills that match changing demands in the labour market.
Atwoli said bringing together skills recognition, stronger social protection and access to modern training would help Kenya develop a workforce that can compete in an increasingly connected global econom