An organisation linking the private sector with students entering Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was recognised on Friday night. The private sector-led training model places learners in industry, not just classrooms. Seventy-five per cent of the training happens on the job, under qualified experts who serve as dedicated mentors, using the latest equipment and technology.
The remaining twenty-five per cent is classroom-based, focused on theory. According to the Ministry of Labour and Skills Development and the State Department for TVET, the model is working and is steadily increasing the employability of graduates, particularly in electrical and plumbing trades where certified, job-ready professionals remain in short supply.
Securing double honours at the eighth edition of the Diversity and Inclusion Awards & Recognition (DIAR), held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Swisscontact was named among the DIAR Top 100 Taifa Champions (Ranked 11- 40), recognising organisations delivering measurable, scalable impact, while its Country Director, Sharon Mosin-Urner, ranked among the DIAR Top 30 Executives Taifa Laureates (Top 1–5), placing her among the country’s most influential leaders driving national transformation.
The recognition was widely seen as validation of a model that has been quietly reshaping how TVET connects to employment. At its core is a shift from training in isolation to training in partnership with industry. Through the private sector-led dual training approach, Swisscontact worked with more than 60 companies, training institutions and the National Industrial Training Authority to embed employers directly into the learning process.
Under the model, students spent three weeks each month in structured workplace experience and one week in the classroom, gaining practical, job-ready skills while engaging with potential employers from the moment they enrolled.
According to Sharon Mosin-Urner “The approach responded to a persistent challenge. Nearly one million young Kenyans enter the labour market each year, yet many lack the technical skills required by industry.” She noted that, even as sectors such as construction, transport and housing expanded, the shortage of skilled technicians remained acute particularly in trades such as plumbing and electrical installation, where demand continues to outpace supply.
Across the wider economy, more than half of informal-sector firms reported difficulty finding skilled workers, underscoring the mismatch between training and labour market needs.
Swisscontact’s intervention focused on closing this gap through systemic change. Since 2022, the organisation piloted PropelA, a private sector-led dual training initiative implemented with institutions such as Don Bosco Boys Town.
The pilot served as proof of concept, delivering employability rates of about 80% among graduates, with many others moving into self-employment. The lessons from PropelA have since informed the rollout of a national private sector-led dual training curriculum, developed in partnership with government and designed for scaling-up across the country, offering a sustainable pathway to address youth unemployment.
Proponents of the TVET Curriculum aligned to labour market demand say, the recognition reflected not only results, but a leadership approach grounded in convening. By bringing together government, private sector, training institutions, regulators and the youth, the model created a shared platform where skills gaps were identified and solutions co-created.
As Kenya advances its economic transformation agenda, the shift is becoming clearer. Training is no longer about certification alone, but about Competency-Based Education (CBE), with employability built in from day one.
