Kenya’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system is undergoing a transformative digital revolution through UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy, an ambitious programme that is equipping educators and students with artificial intelligence and digital competencies essential for the modern workforce. As we progress through 2026, this initiative represents one of the most significant developments in Kenya’s education sector, with the potential to serve as a regional model for digital skills integration across Africa. This comprehensive analysis examines the Global Skills Academy’s impact on Kenya’s TVET landscape, exploring the programme’s evolution, its national implementation strategy, and the implications for workforce development.
UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy (GSA), in partnership with Microsoft Elevate, KPMG International and Tablet Academy, is expanding digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills across technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems[reference:77]. Launched in 2025, the programme aims to equip educators to use AI responsibly, effectively and confidently, while preparing students for a rapidly evolving labour market in which AI is becoming a foundational workplace competence[reference:78]. With implementation planned across six countries worldwide, the ambition is to train and certify over 500,000 teachers and students by the end of 2026, leveraging UNESCO’s network of TVET institutions[reference:79].
In Kenya, the programme was first rolled out with Machakos University and the Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET), before expanding to 21 additional TVET institutions[reference:80]. More than 200 teachers have since been enrolled and upskilled through structured AI learning pathways on Microsoft Learn, marking an important milestone in strengthening AI competencies across the TVET sector[reference:81]. With the support of Machakos University, KSTVET and five UNEVOC Centres, Kenya is now contributing to the development of a broader national framework for AI and digital skills integration across TVET systems[reference:82].
A central feature of the Global Skills Academy’s strategy is national ownership[reference:83]. The programme is designed to be embedded within government-led education and training systems in order to support nationwide scale, ensure alignment with national priorities, and strengthen long-term sustainability[reference:84]. Kenya has played a leading role in demonstrating how public-private partnerships and TVET networks, fuelled by national leadership, can be mobilized to advance a country’s digital transformation agenda and become part of a national system-wide transformation[reference:85].
Kenya’s experience provides a concrete example of how a national implementation strategy can be established[reference:86]. The Ministry of Education and key national authorities—the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (TVET CDACC) and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy—have played an instrumental role in expanding institutional access through national TVET networks, supporting the integration of AI literacy into policies and curricula, and helping ensure quality[reference:87]. The national institutional framework has been essential to accelerating digital transformation at scale, while supporting equitable access across the country through Microsoft’s online learning platform and localized learning content[reference:88].
The Kenyan experience is also increasingly being considered as a potential regional model to support future implementation and scaling efforts in neighbouring countries such as Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, where the programme is entering its first phase[reference:89]. Other participating countries include Ghana, India and Malaysia[reference:90].
The programme is now moving towards its next chapter: digitalization and direct learner engagement[reference:91]. This stage will leverage a train-the-trainer model to expand AI skills among students in participating countries[reference:92]. Teachers trained through the programme will support learners in developing practical AI competencies through online courses leading to Microsoft-issued AI certification[reference:93]. This cascade model is designed to generate a sustainable multiplier effect, with new groups of students trained at the start of each academic term[reference:94]. In Kenya, 23 institutions, including UNEVOC centres and National Polytechnics, will be supported by more than 200 AI-trained educators who will guide students through personalized digital skills pathways in 2026[reference:95].
Kenya’s deliberate shift toward technical and vocational education represents a broader strategic response to the skills gap. Permanent Secretary for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, Fikirini Jacobs, has noted that the country is deliberately shifting towards technical and vocational education to bridge the skills gap and support industrialisation[reference:96]. “For far too long, we have had about one million university students and only about 20,000 students in our technical institutions. That imbalance has contributed to the unemployment crisis because the economy needs more technical skills,” the PS said[reference:97].
Enrolment in TVET institutions has now risen to about 900,000 students, describing the growth as a significant milestone in preparing young people for self-employment and the country’s industrial transformation[reference:98]. The education budget for the 2026/27 financial year has increased from Sh702.7 billion to Sh784.5 billion, with Sh7.3 billion specifically earmarked for TVET development[reference:99]. This substantial investment reflects growing recognition that traditional academic pathways alone cannot meet Kenya’s workforce development needs.
The government has rolled out several youth empowerment initiatives to improve employability. More than 121,000 young people have already benefited from NYOTA grants, while another 90,000 youth are undergoing apprenticeship training under the programme’s master craftsperson model[reference:100]. Thousands of young people are benefiting from government-funded initiatives, including the Climate Works Programme targeting 200,000 youth and the Nairobi River Regeneration Project, which has employed about 45,000 young people[reference:101].
TVET institutions have been encouraged to embrace technology by equipping learners with digital skills and integrating digital tools, automation, and Artificial Intelligence into training programmes[reference:102]. The Cabinet Secretary affirmed that TVET is central to Kenya’s economic transformation, describing it as a bridge between young people and productive livelihoods and between policy ambition and practical delivery[reference:103].
Looking ahead, the Global Skills Academy’s expansion represents a critical component of Kenya’s workforce development strategy. The programme’s focus on AI and digital skills addresses the most significant skills gap facing Kenya’s labour market. The cascade model, which trains educators who then train students, creates a sustainable multiplier effect that can scale across Kenya’s TVET system. The national ownership model ensures that the programme aligns with Kenya’s priorities and can be sustained beyond the initial implementation phase.
In conclusion, UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy is reshaping Kenya’s TVET landscape by equipping educators and students with the AI and digital competencies essential for the modern workforce. Kenya’s experience provides a potential regional model for digital skills integration, demonstrating how public-private partnerships, national leadership, and institutional collaboration can advance a country’s digital transformation agenda. As the programme moves from educator readiness to student reach, its impact on Kenya’s workforce development will only grow, positioning the nation as a leader in TVET innovation across Africa.
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