The KNQA has accredited AHK Services Eastern Africa Limited, the service entity at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa as a licensed foreign qualification awarding institution in the TVET sector in Kenya.
The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) has accredited AHK Services Eastern Africa Limited, the service entity at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa as a Foreign Qualification Awarding Institution in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in Kenya. This means that certificates awarded by AHK Eastern Africa to trainees now are officially recognized in Kenya and within the German system. This certification from KNQA gives AHK Services Eastern Africa Limited, the authority to train in sector-specific areas and award recognized certificates with the consent of KNQA.
This is a tremendous step towards realizing the German Dual Vocational Training System in Kenya, launched by AHK Services Eastern Africa Limited in 2019. AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd., has already rolled out two curricula in Hospitality. However, there are plans to expand to Logistics and later on potentially further sectors.
Speaking at the presentation of the accreditation certificate, KNQA Director General and CEO, Dr. Juma Mukhwana congratulated AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd., on being licensed. “We are happy today, as our aim is to make Kenya’s TVET sector internationally competitive. We believe this accreditation is a positive step towards that. Proceed with energy, knowing that you have our support.” He also mentioned that, “Once you have this license, you have an obligation to jealously guard it. Maintain the quality of the qualifications. We expect that you keep nurturing and growing it.”
Maren Diale-Schellschmidt, Delegate of German Industry for Eastern Africa and Country Director for AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd. said, “This is a big moment for us. We have come a long way in the past two years, through our Skill Expert Project Team supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and we will honor this licensing. For the country, for the students, and also for the companies engaged in our trainings, it is important that everything we do is integrated into the Kenyan system. We will expand the program as much as possible.”
Bruno Backes, Skills Expert Project leader and Head of AHK Services Eastern Africa Limited’s TVET Department added that, “We should work closely together as we are sharing knowledge and learning from each other. I am very happy to now be at this point. It is a good day, especially, for the Kenyan private sector because we mainly work with the private sector. We are aiming at introducing a sustainable system that works in Germany so that after four years we can look at it and see that it works in Kenya as well!”. The close cooperation of AHK and KNQA is also shown by the recent appointment of the Skills Expert Project leader Bruno Backes as a “Resource Person” on TVET by KNQA.
Besides its various dual training courses, AHK Services Eastern Africa Limited will also continue its series of Training of Trainer Courses from March through to November this year. More information on this will be made available as soon as possible.