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2 Oct 2026
By RecruitFinds
For many Kenyan job seekers, getting a diploma, craft certificate or artisan qualification can sometimes feel like being at a disadvantage when competing against candidates with university degrees. Job advertisements often mention bachelor's degrees, while some employers use academic qualifications as an initial screening tool.
However, a TVET qualification can provide something that an academic CV may not immediately demonstrate: evidence of practical ability.
Kenya's TVET system covers several qualification levels, including artisan, craft and diploma qualifications. TVETA's competency-based standards are designed around developing and assessing occupational competence, while industrial attachment is also part of the regulated TVET framework.
For a TVET graduate, the solution is not to make your CV look like a university graduate's CV. Instead, build a CV that makes your technical abilities, practical experience and workplace readiness immediately visible.
One of the biggest mistakes TVET graduates make is allowing the education section to dominate their CV.
A CV that says:
Diploma in Electrical Engineering – XYZ College
does not tell an employer what you can actually do.
A stronger version might show:
Diploma in Electrical Engineering
XYZ College | 2024
Practical competencies:
Electrical installation and maintenance
Fault diagnosis and troubleshooting
Wiring and circuit testing
Preventive maintenance
Electrical safety procedures
Reading technical drawings
Use of electrical testing equipment
Now the employer can immediately see the connection between your qualification and workplace tasks.
Your certificate tells the employer what you studied. Your skills section should show what you can do.
For technical and vocational candidates, a skills-first CV can be particularly useful.
Instead of starting with a long education history, structure the document around your practical capabilities.
A useful order is:
Name and contact details
Professional profile
Core technical skills
Practical experience
Industrial attachment/apprenticeship
Certifications and licences
Education and TVET qualifications
Projects
Professional references
This structure allows a recruiter to see your practical value before reaching the bottom of the document.
It does not mean hiding your education. Your qualification remains important. The objective is to connect the qualification to demonstrable workplace competence.
One of the strongest sections on a TVET graduate's CV can be industrial attachment.
Do not simply write:
Industrial Attachment – ABC Company
That wastes an opportunity.
Explain what you actually did.
For example:
Electrical Technician Trainee – ABC Electrical Services
Industrial Attachment | 4 Months
Assisted technicians with residential and commercial electrical installations.
Tested electrical circuits using appropriate testing equipment.
Assisted with fault identification and basic repairs.
Followed workplace electrical safety procedures.
Supported preventive maintenance activities.
Read and interpreted basic electrical drawings.
That sounds like workplace experience because it describes workplace activities.
TVET's regulatory framework specifically includes industrial attachment as part of vocational training standards, reinforcing the importance of workplace-based experience in the training system.
Employers are not only interested in what you studied. They want to know whether you can perform the tasks required by the position.
Compare these two statements:
Weak:
"Studied motor vehicle mechanics."
Stronger:
"Performed basic vehicle inspection, engine servicing, fault identification and routine maintenance during practical training."
The second statement gives the recruiter something concrete.
Use verbs such as:
Installed
Operated
Repaired
Maintained
Tested
Inspected
Diagnosed
Fabricated
Assembled
Calibrated
Troubleshot
Monitored
Prepared
Serviced
Assisted
These words help turn a qualification into evidence of capability.
For many technical jobs, this can make a major difference.
If you are applying for a technician position, do not only list "technical skills."
Mention relevant equipment you have experience using.
For example:
Equipment and tools:
Multimeter
Power drill
Welding machine
Grinding machine
Hydraulic jack
Diagnostic scanner
Measuring instruments
Hand tools
Computerized maintenance systems
Only list equipment you have genuinely used or been trained to operate.
The purpose is to allow an employer to quickly determine how much practical exposure you have.
Your main TVET qualification should not be buried together with every other certificate.
Create a dedicated Certifications & Licences section.
For example:
Certifications & Licences
Diploma in Automotive Engineering
Driving Licence – Class B
Occupational Safety and Health training
First Aid Certificate
Welding certification
Manufacturer-specific technical training
The exact certifications you should list depend on your occupation.
For some careers, an additional professional or regulatory licence may be essential rather than simply an advantage.
Always make sure certificates and licences are genuine, current where applicable, and relevant to the position.
Not all valuable experience comes from a formal office job.
A plumber may have spent two years assisting an experienced plumber.
A mechanic may have worked in a garage.
A welder may have completed numerous fabrication projects.
A carpenter may have worked on residential construction projects.
A beautician may have served paying customers.
That experience should not automatically disappear from the CV simply because it was not a traditional corporate position.
You can create a section called Practical Experience, Technical Experience, Apprenticeship Experience, or Relevant Experience.
For example:
Assistant Motor Vehicle Mechanic – Family Auto Garage
Nairobi | 2023–2025
Assisted with routine vehicle servicing and maintenance.
Conducted basic inspections and identified common mechanical faults.
Assisted with brake, suspension and engine-related repairs.
Maintained workshop tools and equipment.
Communicated with customers regarding basic service requirements.
The important thing is accuracy. Do not exaggerate your responsibilities.
Projects are particularly useful when you have limited formal employment history.
A project demonstrates that you have applied your training.
Examples include:
Electrical Installation Project
Designed and installed a basic domestic wiring system as part of practical training.
Conducted circuit testing and fault identification.
Welding Project
Fabricated a steel frame using cutting, grinding and welding techniques.
ICT Project
Installed operating systems, configured computers and performed basic troubleshooting.
Building Project
Participated in masonry, plastering and construction measurement activities.
Projects give graduates something concrete to discuss during interviews.
Your CV should never contain language suggesting that you are less qualified because you did not attend university.
Avoid statements such as:
"I only have a diploma."
Instead, present the qualification professionally.
Kenya's qualification framework recognizes multiple progression routes. TVETA's published framework places artisan, craft and diploma qualifications at different KNQF levels and recognizes progression between levels, including pathways that can eventually lead to higher education.
Your CV should therefore focus on the qualification you actually have and the competence you have developed.
A skills-first CV becomes much more effective when it is customized.
Suppose a company advertises for a maintenance technician and mentions:
Preventive maintenance
Fault diagnosis
Equipment inspection
Safety procedures
Technical reporting
Those terms should appear naturally in your CV if you genuinely have those competencies.
Your profile could say:
"Diploma-trained maintenance technician with practical experience in equipment inspection, preventive maintenance, fault diagnosis and technical troubleshooting."
That is much stronger than:
"Hardworking graduate looking for a challenging opportunity."
The second statement could belong to almost anyone.
The first immediately identifies your professional value.
Being a technical professional does not mean your CV should ignore digital skills.
Modern workplaces increasingly require technical workers to record information, communicate electronically and use digital systems.
Depending on your field, relevant skills could include:
Microsoft Word
Excel
Computerized maintenance systems
CAD software
Inventory systems
Digital diagnostic tools
Online reporting platforms
Email communication
Basic data entry
Only include software you can actually use.
Numbers can make practical experience more convincing.
Instead of:
"Worked on construction projects."
Try:
"Assisted with electrical installations across 8 residential projects during practical training."
Instead of:
"Serviced vehicles."
Try:
"Assisted with routine servicing and inspection of approximately 20 vehicles during workshop attachment."
Numbers give employers a clearer idea of your exposure.
Do not invent statistics simply to make the CV look impressive.
A functional CV can be useful for people with strong skills but limited formal employment history.
However, do not completely remove employment dates.
A good approach is a hybrid CV: place skills and competencies prominently while still providing a clear employment and training history.
For example:
CORE TECHNICAL SKILLS
Electrical installation | Fault diagnosis | Preventive maintenance | Equipment testing
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
2025 – Industrial Attachment – ABC Electrical Services
EDUCATION
2024 – Diploma in Electrical Engineering – XYZ College
This gives the recruiter both the skills and the timeline.
A TVET qualification can be strengthened by additional industry-relevant credentials.
For example, depending on your career:
Safety certifications
Driving licences
Equipment-specific training
Computer certifications
Industry examinations
Professional body membership
Manufacturer training
First aid
Specialized technical certificates
The key is relevance.
Ten unrelated certificates do not necessarily make a CV stronger than two certifications directly connected to the job.
Your professional summary should answer three questions:
What are you trained to do?
What can you practically do?
What type of role are you seeking?
For example:
"Diploma-trained automotive technician with practical workshop experience in vehicle inspection, routine servicing, fault diagnosis and preventive maintenance. Experienced in using common workshop tools and supporting repair activities while following safety procedures. Seeking a technician or automotive maintenance position where practical skills can contribute to reliable vehicle operations."
That is more useful than simply writing:
"I am a hardworking and motivated person."
TVET graduates should also consider employers and sectors where practical competence is central to the job.
TVETA identifies areas including construction, digital work, manufacturing, hospitality, agriculture and the blue economy as important areas for future skills. Its current course listings also cover fields ranging from electrical technology and motor vehicle technology to ICT, building technology, food processing and welding.
This means your job search should not be limited to companies that advertise conventional office positions.
Look for:
Workshops
Construction companies
Manufacturers
Hotels
Hospitals
Energy companies
Logistics companies
Engineering firms
Agricultural businesses
ICT service companies
Property and facilities companies
When applying for jobs, have digital copies of your:
CV
TVET certificate
Transcript
National ID
Relevant licences
Professional certificates
Attachment letter
Recommendation letters
Portfolio where applicable
Make sure your names and dates are consistent across your documents.
If an employer or institution needs verification or recognition of a TVET qualification, TVETA provides a recognition and equation process for relevant qualifications.
Recruiters often have many applications to review.
Your CV therefore needs to communicate your value quickly.
A recruiter looking for a welder should immediately see welding skills.
A recruiter looking for a mechanic should immediately see mechanical competencies.
A recruiter looking for an electrician should immediately see installation, testing and troubleshooting experience.
Do not force the employer to search through three pages to discover what you can do.
Put your strongest relevant skills near the top.
A university degree and a TVET qualification are different educational pathways, and job requirements vary from one occupation and employer to another. A TVET qualification should therefore not be presented as an inferior version of a university degree.
Instead, make your CV demonstrate the value of practical training.
Put your technical competencies near the top. Turn industrial attachment into meaningful experience. Document apprenticeships and practical projects. List the equipment you can operate. Highlight relevant certifications and licences. Use measurable achievements where possible. Most importantly, customize your CV around the actual skills requested in each job advertisement.
Kenya's TVET framework itself places significant emphasis on competency-based education, assessment, industrial attachment and recognized occupational qualifications.
Your qualification gets you into consideration. Your demonstrated skills, practical experience and evidence of what you can actually do can help employers understand why you are capable of doing the job.
