By Eddah Waithaka
The coastal county of Kilifi today cemented its position as a national trailblazer in skills development, signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with Swisscontact to launch the Kilifi Hospitality Sector Dual Apprenticeship Pilot (KH DAP).
The groundbreaking initiative positions Kilifi as the first county in Kenya to localize and implement the new private sector-led dual training model within its hospitality and tourism economy, a move that promises to transform how the region prepares its youth for careers in one of its most vital industries.
Deputy Governor H.E. Flora Mbetsa and Swisscontact Country Director Sharon Mosin signed the agreement at the Kilifi Convention Centre during the official opening of the Kilifi Tourism & Hospitality Sector Acceleration Roundtable, bringing together government leaders, industry players, and training institutions under one roof to chart a new course for the county’s tourism future.
“This initiative is a direct investment in the potential of our youth and in the future of Kilifi’s hospitality sector,” said H.E. Flora Mbetsa, Deputy Governor, County Government of Kilifi.
“Through the Dual Apprenticeship Programme, we are taking deliberate steps to ensure that our Vocational Training Centres align with the real demands of industry. Our young people must not only be trained, they must be employable, competitive, and fully prepared to deliver service excellence.”
Industry Takes the Lead
The pilot draws on Swisscontact’s globally proven PropelA dual apprenticeship framework, a model that has already delivered strong outcomes in Nairobi’s construction sector and helped shape the national private sector-led skills development framework launched earlier this year.
Unlike traditional training approaches, this model places hospitality employers in the driver’s seat. Businesses will co-design curricula, host apprentices in real work environments, mentor trainees, and directly shape the competencies required for a globally competitive hospitality workforce.
“Our presence here today is not just about introducing the PropelA model, it is about cementing a shared commitment to the future of this county,” said Sharon Mosin, Country Director, Swisscontact.
“This reflects our belief that investing in people is one of the most powerful drivers of economic transformation. It also signals that Kilifi is ready to lead in coastal hospitality excellence, with the private sector as co-architects and our youth at the centre of sustainable opportunity.”
A Partnership Built for Impact
Under the collaboration, Swisscontact will provide technical expertise to design and sequence the dual apprenticeship approach.
The Kilifi County Government will create an enabling environment by strengthening selected TVET institutions, facilitate accreditation through the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), and partner with hospitality employers to champion the pilot.
A comprehensive labour market assessment will inform the identification of priority skills and guide the development of the county’s apprenticeship pathways.
The initiative places strong emphasis on youth inclusion, particularly for women and marginalised groups. By blending classroom instruction with structured workplace experience, the model ensures apprentices graduate with hands-on, industry-aligned competencies.
Beyond the PilotKH DAP also promotes locally led development by strengthening county institutions, employer networks, and TVET capacity to sustain the model long after the pilot phase concludes.
The partnership represents a national first demonstrating how the private sector-led skills development model launched at the Youth Skills Development Forum can be adapted and applied at county level.
Kilifi now emerges as a leader in redefining service excellence along Kenya’s coastline and building a hospitality workforce that matches international standards.
Speaking about the broader vision for the sector, Deputy Governor Mbetsa emphasised that today’s agreement forms part of a larger strategy to transform Kilifi into a premier coastal destination.
“Kilifi is open for partnerships, open for investment, and committed to working with the private sector to deliver shared value,” she said.
“But partnerships must go beyond discussion. They must translate into commitments, commitments to invest, to train, to collaborate, and to grow together.”
With the institutional support of the newly established Kilifi County Tourism Board and the Kilifi County Investment & Development Corporation, the county now stands ready to support destination management and facilitate tourism investments that will create lasting opportunities for its people.
For the young women and men of Kilifi, the message is clear: a future of dignified, sustainable employment in one of the world’s most dynamic industries is no longer a distant hope, it is a commitment being built today, one apprenticeship at a time.
