TVET Colleges Are Replacing Graduation Gowns With Trade Attire.
Kenyan TVET institutions are dropping the black academic gown for graduation ceremonies. Graduates will instead wear the work clothes of their trade — overalls for mechanics, chef’s whites for culinary students, lab coats for lab technicians, and similar discipline-specific outfits.
The change follows a directive from the Ministry of Education’s State Department for TVET, and Gichugu Technical and Vocational College (TVC) in Kirinyaga County is one of the institutions putting it into practice at its first-ever graduation.
Why TVET Graduates Are Dropping the Academic Gown
The policy traces back to an announcement by TVET Principal Secretary Dr Esther Muoria during the sixth graduation ceremony of Nyeri National Polytechnic in April 2026, where more than 2,000 trainees received certificates and diplomas.
Muoria told institutions that the traditional black gown, borrowed from university convocation, does not reflect what TVET training is actually about, and that going forward, trainees would graduate in attire tied to their specific technical field.
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Under the directive:
- Mechanics and automotive trainees graduate in overalls
- Culinary and hospitality graduates wear chef’s uniforms
- Cosmetology and beauty therapy graduates wear their trade’s professional attire
- Agriculture graduates wear agricultural work attire
- Other technical disciplines adopt the standard professional dress associated with their field
The PS argued that under the old system, gowns made every graduate look identical regardless of what they had trained in, which did nothing to showcase their actual skills to employers watching the ceremony. The directive applies to TVET institutions nationally and takes effect from each institution’s next graduation cycle going forward — it is not a one-off request tied to a single college.
Gichugu TVC’s First Graduation
Gichugu TVC, established roughly two years ago in Kirinyaga County, will hold its inaugural graduation next month, and the college has chosen to adopt the new dress code from the outset rather than transition later. Principal Joseph Kimemia said the college sees the move as a way to visibly connect what students learned with the industry they are entering.
According to Kimemia, agriculture graduates will appear in agricultural attire, cosmetology graduates in the dress associated with the beauty industry, and other trainees similarly dressed for their trade. He framed the change as part of a broader effort to shift how TVET training is perceived — not as a stepping stone to job-hunting, but as direct preparation to enter or create work.
Kimemia used the ceremony to appeal to employers to engage more closely with TVET institutions and absorb graduates directly into the workforce, arguing that visible, trade-specific attire makes it easier for industry players to identify the skills on display and match them to real openings.
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Recognition of Prior Learning: The Bigger Story at Gichugu TVC
Alongside the attire change, Gichugu TVC’s first graduation will feature a large cohort of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) candidates — Kimemia put the number at more than 200, some in their 50s and 60s, who have worked in their trades for years without ever holding a formal certificate.
RPL is a nationally regulated pathway, not something individual colleges invented. It is coordinated by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and quality-assured through standards issued by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), including TVET Standard TVETS 02 on RPL requirements and guidelines. Under this framework, a candidate’s competence is assessed through a mix of:
- Portfolio review (evidence of work done, references, samples)
- Practical demonstrations of the actual skill
- Oral interviews with an accredited RPL assessor
Candidates who pass are awarded a formal qualification recognised on the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF), placing them on the same footing as someone who trained through the classroom route.
Why RPL Matters for Kenya’s Informal Workforce
Kenya has a large population of artisans — welders, tailors, mechanics, masons, hairdressers and others — who learned their trade through apprenticeship or years of hands-on work rather than formal schooling. Without a certificate, many of these workers struggle to win government tenders, qualify for formal employment, access credit tied to trade qualifications, or work legally in some regulated trades. RPL exists specifically to close that gap by certifying skills that already exist, rather than requiring years of classroom repetition.
Kimemia said Gichugu TVC assesses many RPL candidates at their actual workplaces rather than only on campus, which allows workers to demonstrate their skills in a familiar setting instead of an unfamiliar exam environment.
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How the MP’s Sponsorship Fits In
Gichugu TVC’s RPL numbers have been boosted by sponsorship from area MP Robert Gichimu (Githinji), who has channelled National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) resources toward certifying local artisans. The MP has previously been reported committing sponsorship for over 100 artisans to go through the RPL programme at the college, with the stated aim of expanding that support further. Kimemia said the college is now targeting to enrol around another 100 RPL candidates as admissions continue.
Unlike standard TVET enrolment, RPL admission is not tied to fixed intakes. Workers can apply for assessment whenever they are ready, which is part of why the numbers at Gichugu TVC have grown steadily rather than being capped to a single intake window.
What This Means for TVET Students, Colleges and Employers
| Stakeholder | What changes |
|---|---|
| Graduating trainees | Wear trade-specific attire instead of a black academic gown at graduation |
| TVET colleges | Must plan and source discipline-specific attire for each graduating cohort, alongside normal graduation logistics |
| Employers | Can visually identify a graduate’s trade at the ceremony itself, which colleges hope will encourage direct recruitment |
| Experienced artisans without certificates | Can pursue RPL assessment at accredited TVET institutions to get formally certified, at any time, without repeating classroom training |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the gown-to-trade-attire change compulsory for all TVET institutions in Kenya? Yes. The directive from the TVET Principal Secretary applies to TVET institutions nationally, with each college expected to adopt trade-specific attire from its next graduation ceremony onward.
What will graduates wear instead of gowns? Attire tied to their specific trade — for example, overalls for mechanics, chef’s uniforms for culinary graduates, and the standard professional dress associated with fields such as agriculture or cosmetology.
What is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in the Kenyan TVET system? RPL is a KNQA-coordinated, TVETA-regulated process that assesses and certifies skills a person already has from work or life experience — through portfolio review, practical demonstration and interviews — so they can earn a formal TVET qualification without undergoing full classroom training.
Can any experienced artisan apply for RPL? Yes, in principle. RPL is available at TVETA-accredited institutions offering the programme, and admission is not restricted to fixed intake periods, so candidates can seek assessment when they are ready.
Does RPL replace formal TVET training? No. It is an alternative certification pathway for people who already have the practical skills but lack paper qualifications. Those without existing hands-on competence still need to go through standard TVET training.
TVET Colleges Are Replacing Graduation Gowns With Trade Attire.
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