Who is a secretarial craftsman?
A secretarial craftsman is a craftsperson or a worker skilled in secretarial studies or a closely related field. Secretarial studies is a field of study that equips learners with skills and knowledge required to work effectively as an office secretary. Under the guidance and supervision of senior officers, secretarial craftsmen perform various duties required to maintain smooth running of an office through various administrative and clerical duties such as; typing letters, dispatching letters, receiving office documents, handling office schedules, coordinating meetings, calling and receiving calls, filing and organizing files, among other kinds of essential office duties.

Other related title(s)

1. Personal secretary
2. Office assistant
3. Assistant office administrator
4. Front office assistant
5. Receptionist
6. Secretarial master craft person III

What is the work environment?
Secretarial craftsmen works in an office environment

Some important skills and qualities to have

1. Good organization skills
2. Good time management skills
3. Communication skills both verbal and written
4. Interpersonal skills
5. A high sense of confidence
6. IT and computer packages skills
7. Accuracy and good attention to detail
8. Ability to stay calm under pressure
9. Report writing skills
10. Among others

What are some career opportunities?
Secretarial craftsmen can find employment opportunities within the front office section in various businesses in both private and public sectors among other areas.

Becoming a Secretarial craftsman

Minimum admission requirements

1. A mean grade of D (Plain) and above in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination or its equivalent;
2. Artisan certificate/ completion of KNQF level 4
3. Or other approved qualification

Training & Study options
If you meet the above minimum admission requirements, you can proceed to a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college and enroll for a relevant craft certificate course. Craft courses are also offered within Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) within your region.

What course(s) can you pursue in TVET colleges?

1. Craft certificate in secretarial studies
2. Craft certificate in computerized secretarial studies
3. Or other similar/ related fields

Qualifications Level
Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF level 5)

Education Progression
Upon a successful completion of a craft certificate course, you can advance your education upward (in a relevant field) up to university level if you like. How is this possible?

1. Get a craft certificate
2. Advance to diploma certificate, (in a relevant field)
3. Advance to degree certificate, (in a relevant field)

How to Join TVET College
There are two ways you can follow to join training institution(s) in pursuit of your career of choice.

1. Applying through Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps), for government sponsored students.
2. Applying directly to training institution of your choice, for self-sponsored students.

Financial Aid
There are various ways you can access financial aid to support your postsecondary education. Some of them are listed below;

1. Apply for education loan through Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). Besides the loan, HELB can also give you a bursary. Visit HELB website for more information on loan limits and bursaries.
2. Apply for education bursaries from National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), from your local Member of Parliament, (MP).
3. Access education bursaries from your County Government.
4. Some corporate organizations, colleges and universities offer scholarships to bright but needy students, among other sources.
5. Get timely information on these scholarships, bursaries and financial aid to know where and when to apply.

Important note!
Information provided on this website is for career awareness only, and not for any other purpose.