Tourism Fund Rolls Out Digital Skills Training for Youth at Eldoret Polytechnic
According to Rotich, while the core RPL program focuses on upskilling workers already in the hospitality industry, the Fund has introduced a parallel track targeting the youth.
By Robert Mutasi
The Tourism Fund has expanded its youth empowerment program to Eldoret, combining hospitality upskilling with intensive training in content creation and digital entrepreneurship.
Speaking during a training session at The Eldoret National Polytechnic, Ms. Sally Rotich, an officer from the Tourism Fund, said the initiative is part of a nationwide Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program aimed at equipping both hospitality workers and young people with skills for the modern economy.
According to Rotich, while the core RPL program focuses on upskilling workers already in the hospitality industry, the Fund has introduced a parallel track targeting the youth.
“We are currently doing an RPL training at the Eldoret Polytechnic. In addition to upskilling the hospitality industry workers, we are also targeting the youth to train them about content creation, basics in photography, storytelling,” Rotich said.
The training covers strategy for growth and monetization in the content creation space, with the broader goal of introducing young Kenyans to the digital economy.
Rotich explained that the choice of Eldoret Polytechnic is not exclusive, noting that the program is being rolled out across different counties to ensure equitable access to opportunities.
“The reason why we targeted this particular institution — well not that it’s the only institution. This is a training that’s happening across different counties just to equip the youth with the necessary skills that they need,” she said.
She emphasized that the skills are designed to be practical and locally relevant, enabling participants to build sustainable livelihoods within their own counties.
The program aims to teach young people how to not only brand themselves effectively online, but also how to position themselves for employment opportunities with hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the tourism value chain.
“How they can use their local context, their voices to be digital journalists,” Rotich added, highlighting the Fund’s push to have youth tell authentic Kenyan stories from their own communities.
The Eldoret session has drawn participants from diverse backgrounds, including established content creators and beginners with no prior experience in the creative industry. Rotich described the turnout as impressive, attributing it to the inclusive nature of the program.
“It’s a good turnout of people in the creative space, content creators, people who are not content creators as well. It’s open for all,” she said.
The Tourism Fund, a state corporation mandated to mobilize resources for tourism development, has in recent years shifted focus toward capacity building and youth inclusion as part of Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Rotich urged young people in other counties to be on the lookout for the next phase of the training, confirming that the program will be extended to more regions in the coming weeks.
“Just watch out for the next opportunity, we might be coming to your county in a few months, in a few weeks,” she said.
The training comes at a time when Kenya’s digital economy is experiencing rapid growth, with thousands of young people turning to content creation, freelance photography, and social media management as alternative sources of income.
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