Swisscontact has been lauded for mobilising private-sector companies to create real employment pathways for graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, as the government intensifies efforts to bridge Kenya’s skills gap.
During a courtesy call at the Ministry of Labour headquarters in Nairobi, Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime met Swisscontact Kenya’s Country Director Sharon Mosin and Project Manager Jimmy Delyon to discuss scaling up demand-driven training initiatives. The meeting highlighted growing collaboration between government and industry to strengthen workforce readiness.
At the centre of the discussions was the PropelA dual apprenticeship programme, a National Industrial Training Authority (NITA)-accredited model implemented by Swisscontact in partnership with Don Bosco Boys Town and more than 60 private sector companies. The programme integrates classroom learning with structured workplace experience, with trainees spending 25 per cent of their time in class and 75 per cent in industry placements.
PS Mwadime commended the initiative for aligning training with labour market needs, noting that stronger industry participation is critical in addressing youth unemployment. Under the leadership of the NITA, the government is recalibrating TVET curricula to ensure closer collaboration with employers and greater responsiveness to market demand.
Swisscontact’s approach focuses on co-creating training content with companies, ensuring graduates acquire practical competencies required in sectors such as manufacturing, construction and services.
Stakeholders emphasised that sustainable solutions to unemployment will depend on sustained public-private partnerships. By embedding students within workplaces during their studies, the model aims to produce job-ready graduates and reduce the mismatch between training and employment opportunities.
The initiative signals a shift towards industry-led skills development as Kenya works to strengthen its workforce for a competitive economy.
