KNQA director hails Prior Learning policy, says it’s a game changer

Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Director General Dr Alice Kande has underscored the critical role that the Recognition of Prior Learning policy (RPL) that is being implemented in the Country will play in addressing unemployment in the Country.

According to Dr. Kande, the development and the national roll-out of the Recognition of Prior Learning policy was paramount in recognizing diverse skills and competences regardless of when, where and how they are acquired against prescribed standards or learning outcomes.

“The policy was timely as it came at a time when the country is experiencing youth bulge with 29 percent of the population aged 18-34 years,” said Dr. Kande during the launch of KNQA Strategic Plan 2023-2027 in Nairobi an event that was presided over by TVET PS Dr Esther Muoria who represented Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu.

Dr Kande went on : “ This large number of Kenyan youths presents an opportunity for the country and offers potential to be a force for a positive future if they are gainfully engaged in economic and social activities for national development. RPL gives this critical segment of the population, wings to fly through certification of competencies that they demonstrate. Of most importance also are the opportunities given to the marginalized communities including Refugees and asylum seekers.”

She noted that Kenya currently hosts over 600,000 refugees and asylum seekers majority hailing from Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan and Ethiopia.

“Most of these refugees and migrants have vast experience and skills, while some have professional qualifications which are not recognised. The comprehensive RPL system is critical in making such competences visible, thus facilitate smooth transition and integration into the host communities and their countries of origin upon return,” added the Director General.

She went on : “ With over 900 individuals having been successfully assessed during the piloting phase of the RPL policy, we envisage that over 10,000 individuals shall be assessed per year through RPL and importantly ensure that they are linked to the labour market so that they can benefit from decent and gainful employment. This is a key policy initiative that will address the paradox of skills mismatch and unemployability in the country.”

On the KNQA Strategic Plan, Dr Kande the exercise marks an exciting milestone for KNQA which is a culmination of months of collaborative effort, analysis, and forward-thinking to ensure that we are well-positioned for the future.

“Our strategic plan represents a comprehensive roadmap that aligns our goals with our vision for the future. It is a testament to our commitment to responsiveness, innovation, customer focus, and operational excellence. Through this plan, we aim to leverage our strengths, capitalize on opportunities, and navigate challenges with resilience and agility,” said Dr Kande.

She said the plan focuses on five Key Result Areas namely, development of National Qualifications Database; Research & National Policies on national qualifications; Registration of qualification awarding institutions (QAIs)and Qualifications in the KNQF; Mobility and Progression of Learners; and Institutional strengthening through Institutional Capacity Development and therefore, articulates strategies that are critical for delivery of the Authority’s core functions and mandate and builds on achievements of the previous Strategic Plan.

“In the previous period, the Authority recorded a number of achievements among then being successful establishment of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework which is now being implemented. With the National Qualifications Framework in place, key challenges that have previously be-devilled the education and training sector amongst them – non-recognition of other forms of learning; fragmented and unstandardized Qualifications System; unclear progression pathways; lack of a transparent and equitable qualifications systems; deteriorating quality of qualifications; and proliferation of fake and fraudulent certificates have gradually and continue to be addressed,” noted the Director General.

Dr Kande further said the National Policy on Credit Accumulation and Transfer System has also been developed to facilitate credit transfers and exemptions as well as vertical and horizontal mobility at all levels; and enabling entry, re-entry and exit between and within QF levels, courses and institutions.

“We sincerely appreciate the gradual responsiveness of Qualifications Awarding Institutions in submitting their respective data on qualifications to the National Qualifications Database and it is our endeavour in the current period that we shall indeed have a robust database of qualifications,” said Dr Kande.

However, she said while several achievements were recorded, we also experienced a number of challenges.

“Our vision has always been clear: ‘To ensure that as a country we have ‘Globally Recognized and Competitive Qualifications’. This new plan reaffirms our commitment to firmly pursue this vision while charting a course for sustainable growth and excellence,” she said.

Further, Dr Kande added that the Plan will contribute to the realization of objectives set forth in the Fourth Medium Term Plan of the Kenya Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, East Africa Community Vision 2050, African Union Agenda 2063, United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, Africa Continental Free Trade Area; the Addis Convention and other pertinent national, regional and international protocols and sector initiatives – all of which advocate for enhanced transparency and comparability of qualifications; mutual trust between qualifications frameworks and systems for lifelong learning nationally, Regionally and Continentally.

“While we pledge to implement the strategies and activities that are laid out in the Plan, we are aware that resources are paramount. In this Strategic Plan, our resource requirement is approximately Kshs. 1.9 billion. This will be met through our resource mobilization strategy that involves working closely with development partners, industry players and other stakeholders to actualise the envisaged targets in the planned period,” said Dr. Kande.