Kilifi County, Swisscontact Signs MoU to Launch Dual Apprenticeship Pilot for the Hospitality Sector
KILIFI, Kenya, Mar 27 – The County Government of Kilifi and Swisscontact have entered into a strategic partnership to launch the Kilifi Hospitality Sector Dual Apprenticeship Pilot (KH DAP) a transformative initiative that positions Kilifi as the first county in Kenya to localise and implement the new privatesector-led dual training model within its hospitality and tourism economy.
The pilot is anchored on Swisscontact’s globally proven dual apprenticeship framework, PropelA, which has delivered strong outcomes in Nairobi’s construction sector and informed the national privatesectorled skills development framework launched earlier this year.
Through the model, hospitality employers in Kilifi will take an active leadership role in codesigning curricula, hosting apprentices in real work environments, mentoring trainees and shaping the competencies required for a globally competitive hospitality workforce.
H.E. Flora Mbetsa, Deputy Governor, of Kilifi County while speaking at the signing ceremony welcomed the initiative as a major step in strengthening the county’s tourism sector and creating meaningful opportunities for young people.
“This initiative is a direct investment in the potential of our youth and in the future of Kilifi’s hospitality sector, Through the Dual Apprenticeship Programme, we are taking deliberate steps to ensure that our Vocational Training Centres are aligned with the real demands of industry”, said Ms Mbetsa.
“Our young people must not only be trained; they must be employable, competitive, and fully prepared to deliver service excellence”, She added.
She noted that the county is committed to developing a skilled, confident, and customerserviceoriented workforce as part of its vision to position Kilifi as a competitive tourism destination.
Swisscontact Country Director, Sharon Mosin, reaffirmed organisation’s commitment to marketdriven skills development and to strengthening county-level systems that enable youth employment.
“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. This reflects our belief that investing in people is one of the most powerful drivers of economic transformation”, stated Ms Mosin.
“It also signals that Kilifi is ready to lead in coastal hospitality excellence, with the private sector as coarchitects and our youth at the centre of sustainable opportunity”, she added.
The MOU between the Kilifi County Government and Swisscontact establishes a joint commitment to launch the Kilifi Hospitality Sector Dual Apprenticeship Pilot (KHDAP), an initiative that adapts Kenya’s proven privatesectorled dual training model to the county’s hospitality and tourism economy.
Building on the success of Swisscontact’s PropelA Dual Apprenticeship Model in Nairobi’s construction sector, the pilot will integrate real workplace experience with classroom learning and be implemented through selected hotels, tourism businesses and TVET institutions, with the potential for future scale-up.
Under the partnership, Swisscontact will provide technical expertise in designing and sequencing the model, while Kilifi County Government will create an enabling environment, strengthen TVET capacity and support curriculum accreditation and industry mobilisation and partner with hospitality and tourism employers to codesign and champion the pilot.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection through National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) will provide regulatory oversight and ensure curriculum accreditation, while private sector partners will lead the codesign of the curriculum and offer structured workplace learning opportunities.
The pilot prioritizes youth employment, gender inclusion, and locally led development by anchoring employers at the centre of training; cocreating curricula, hosting apprentices, and guiding their progression; thereby laying the foundation for a sustainable, countywide skills ecosystem.
Additionally, A comprehensive labour market assessment will inform the identification of priority skills and guide the development of the county’s apprenticeship pathways.
KH DAP places strong emphasis on youth inclusion, especially for women and marginalised groups. By blending classroom instruction with structured workplace experience, the model ensures that apprentices graduate with handson, industryaligned competencies.
Further, The initiative also promotes locally led development by strengthening county institutions, employer networks and TVET capacity to sustain the model beyond the pilot phase.
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.
