The Tourism Fund has stepped up skills development and professional training for workers in Kenya’s tourism and hospitality industry as the sector seeks to keep pace with changing customer demands and technological advancements.
The Fund says continuous training is critical to building a skilled and adaptable workforce capable of improving service delivery and strengthening the competitiveness of the tourism sector.
Through an upskilling programme implemented in partnership with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, the Tourism Fund is targeting workers who may not have had an opportunity to undertake formal professional training.
The two-week programme includes Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which enables workers to have their existing knowledge, skills and competencies formally assessed, recognised and enhanced through structured training.
It also offers a two-day programme for directors and managers of tourism and hospitality establishments, focusing on leadership, management, supervision, decision-making and organisational performance.
The Fund has also introduced content creation training targeting young people and equipping them with digital skills to create and promote tourism-related content.
More than 9,000 beneficiaries have so far been supported through the programme, including 6,539 workers, 1,808 managers and 1,041 youth trained in content creation.
A further 489 beneficiaries received certificates on Friday during graduation ceremonies held at Kaiboi National Polytechnic in Nandi County and Michuki National Polytechnic in Murang’a County.
Kaiboi graduated 237 beneficiaries, while 252 received certificates at Michuki.
The two institutions are the latest training centres to offer the programme, bringing the total number of centres involved to 34 across the country.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony at Kaiboi National Polytechnic, Tourism Fund Board of Trustees chairman Samson Some said the changing nature of the tourism industry required workers to continually improve their skills.
“The tourism and hospitality industry is dynamic and continually evolving. Changing customer expectations, rapid technological advancements and an increasingly competitive environment demand a workforce that is not only technically competent, but also innovative, adaptable and committed to delivering excellence,” Some said.
He said partnerships between training institutions and industry stakeholders were key to building professional capacity in the sector.
“Today, we celebrate this achievement with you and, more importantly, send you back into the industry as more competent, confident and value-adding professionals,” he said.
Some also highlighted the Tourism Training Revolving Fund, which supports Kenyan students pursuing tourism and hospitality courses as well as professionals seeking to further their education and advance their careers.
He said 5,800 students had so far benefited from the programme, with more than Sh330 million disbursed in loans.
Some urged tourism and hospitality workers to take advantage of available training opportunities and embrace continuous learning to remain competitive in the industry.
The graduation ceremony brought together Nandi county leaders, officials from the State Department for TVET, tourism stakeholders, representatives of Kaiboi National Polytechnic, employers and other industry partners.
Tourism Fund said the continued expansion of training opportunities would help bridge skills gaps while improving professionalism and service standards across the tourism and hospitality industry.
