ABUJA, Nigeria, June 4 – Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, Shadrack Mwadime, has been unanimously elected Continental Chair of the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET), cementing Kenya’s growing influence in skills development and apprenticeship reforms across the region.
Mwadime succeeds Prof. Idris Mohammed Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria’s National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), following his election during the SASASNET Annual General Meeting held on June 3 in Abuja.
The election took place alongside the network’s 3rd Regional Conference, which brought together ministers, senior government officials, representatives of the informal sector, development partners, and international organisations from across the continent to discuss the future of skills development and apprenticeship systems in Africa.
Kenya was represented by Dr. Wanjiru Kariuki from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and Wambua Nyamai, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJKA).
The Abuja conference built on the outcomes of the 2nd Regional Conference held in Mombasa in 2025, which attracted delegates from 24 African countries and culminated in the adoption of the Mombasa Declaration, a framework aimed at strengthening apprenticeship systems across the continent.
As Continental Chair, Mwadime is expected to spearhead efforts to deepen collaboration among Sub-Saharan African countries in promoting quality apprenticeships in line with the International Labour Organization’s Recommendation 208. The recommendation provides a global framework for apprenticeship systems that are inclusive, industry-driven, and anchored in decent work principles.
His election comes as Kenya continues to implement reforms aimed at strengthening skills development and transitioning workers from informal to structured apprenticeship systems.
Among the key initiatives is the National Work-Based Learning Policy, which seeks to promote quality apprenticeships and strengthen the link between training institutions and industry.
Kenya has also rolled out the National Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which has enabled the certification of 48,383 individuals by formally recognising skills acquired through informal apprenticeship arrangements.
In addition, the government is implementing the National Strategy for Transformation of the Informal Economy, a framework designed to support the gradual integration of the informal sector into the formal economy. The strategy is particularly significant given that nearly 84 percent of Kenya’s workforce is employed in the informal sector.
The reforms are aimed at promoting decent work, sustainable livelihoods and inclusive economic growth while ensuring skills development remains responsive to labour market demands.
Mwadime’s election is expected to strengthen regional cooperation on apprenticeship development and position Kenya at the forefront of efforts to build a skilled workforce capable of meeting Africa’s evolving economic and industrial needs.