Artisan courses are technical or tvet programs offered in technical colleges and vocational training centers commonly known as youth polytechnics. Artisan courses in Kenya are accessible nationwide as artisan certificate schools are decentralized. You can find them in Nairobi and other countries. The admission requirements or qualifications for artisan courses are a primary school certificate (KCPE) or KCSE mean grade D- (minus) and below. Besides, secondary school dropouts qualify for artisan courses.
Download a PDF guide for the best Artisan Courses to study. It will take less than 4 minutes to read the PDF. The PDF costs Kshs.74/= [Download Now]
What is an Artisan Certificate?
An artisan certificate is a post-secondary credential issued to an artisan who has completed the study of an artisan course. To become a qualified or successful artisan, you need to enroll in an artisan course in a reputable vocational training center or technical college and seek internship opportunities after graduation. Experience obtained from industry linkages can help you launch a successful career or business as an artisan. Successful artisans without formal education can get artisan certification through a prior learning program.
Which Artisan Course is Marketable? / The best artisan courses in Kenya
With over a hundred artisan courses available to qualified youths, selecting a marketable artisan course can be a daunting task to recently graduated high school students, which is why seeking career guidance is necessary. Career guidance will help you identify an artisan course that aligns with your interests and personality and is well-paying. If you need help choosing a marketable artisan certificate course, our enthusiastic career guidance officers can guide you.
In brief, the following artisan courses are deemed marketable;
- Fashion design and clothing
- Welding and fabrication
- Carpentry
- Building construction/ masonry
- Plumbing
- Motor vehicle mechanics
- Beauty therapy and hairdressing
- And many more,
If you need a complete list of marketable artisan courses based on your interests, we can help. Contact us for personalized guidance.
KUCCPS Artisan Courses in Kenya
Want to study an artisan course under a government-sponsored program? The following is a comprehensive list of the artisan courses offered by the kuccps. The courses are examined by Knec and offered in public and private colleges.
List of Artisan Courses in Kenya |
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Entry Qualifications |
| Grade III, II, and I in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in hair and beauty therapy | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in Hair and Beauty Therapy | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET level I & II in hairdressing and beauty therapy | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in hairdressing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade Test III in Carpentry and Joinery | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in Carpentry & Joinery | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in plumbing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan plumbing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in plumbing works | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in plumbing & building services | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in plumbing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade Test in plumbing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan certificate in electrical installation | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in Electrical | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in electrical engineering | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in electrical and electronics | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in electrical and electronics technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in electrical wireman | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade (I, II & III) in electrical wireman | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan certificate in electrical wireman | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in electrical installation | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in electrical and electronics technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET level I & II in electrical and electronics | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade test in electrical installation and wiring | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade test III in electrical installation | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in electrical engineering | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in electrical fitter | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in welding | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in arc welding | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade tests III & I in arc welding | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade III in an arc welder | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in gas welding | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in welding and fabrication | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in welding & fabrication | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan craft in welding and fabrication | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in welding & fabrication | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test grade III in welding | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in general agriculture | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in modern methods of agriculture (agribusiness development) | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan certificate in agribusiness | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in I and II in agribusiness management | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET refrigeration and air conditioning/ artisan air conditioning | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in Information Communication Technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in Information Communication Technology/ NVCET (ICT) | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test/ Artisan in ICT | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in leatherwork technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in leatherwork | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan certificate in food and beverage production and service | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in food and beverage production, sales and service | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in food and beverage | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan craft in food & beverage | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in food processing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in food processing technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in food processing technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan certificate in building technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in building construction technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in building technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan certificate in motor vehicle mechanics | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan craft in motor vehicle mechanics | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in motor vehicle technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in automotive vehicle mechanics | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in automotive engineering | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in automotive vehicle mechanics | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in automotive engineering | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in motor vehicle electrical (wiring)
Artisan in storekeeping/storekeeping |
KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in catering and accommodation | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisans in general, fitters | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in general fitters | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in mechanical engineering | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in automotive engineering | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in Masonry | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan/ Trade test in masonry | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade III in masonry | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in fashion design and garment making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade III, II & I in tailoring and dress-making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in dressmaking and tailoring | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Grade in garment making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in garment making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in garment making and fashion design | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in garment making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan craft in garment-making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in fashion design and garment making | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in fashion design and garment-making technology | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in fashion & design | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in fashion and design | KCSE D- and E | ||
| NVCET in garment making and fashion design | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade Test in Solar Photovoltaic | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Trade test in clothing | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Single and group/ artisan in secretarial studies | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan in secretarial | KCSE D- and E | ||
| Artisan, an accounting technician | KCSE D- and E |
Download a PDF guide for the best Artisan Courses to study. It will take less than 4 minutes to read the PDF. The PDF costs Kshs.74/= [Download Now]
Knec Artisan Courses in Kenya
KNEC administers the courses in Kenya. Different Knec artisan programs are available to qualified students. Whether you want to become a carpenter, plumber, storekeeper, or other artisan, the following KNEC artisan courses are open for your consideration.
KNEC Artisan Courses |
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Entry Qualifications |
| Artisan in storekeeping | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan Certificate in clerk/ typist | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in salesmanship | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in food and beverage production and service | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in garment making | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in carpentry and joinery | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in Masonry | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in plumbing | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert’ | ||
| Artisan in seafarers | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| Artisan in motor vehicle mechanics | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| NVCET in fashion design and garment making | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| NVCET in food processing | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| NVCET in hairdressing and beauty therapy | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| NVCET in appropriate carpentry and joinery | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ | ||
| NVCET in building technology | KCSE D- & below or KCPE cert.’ |
Download a PDF guide for the best Artisan Courses to study. It will take less than 4 minutes to read the PDF. The PDF costs Kshs.74/= [Download Now]
Artisan Courses Qualifications level
The entry qualifications for the artisan course are KCPE or KCSE grade D- and below. On average, the artisan course takes one year to complete upon which CDACC/KNEC examines candidates. Artisan certificate qualification is rated at KNQF level four (4) and is lower than craft certificate. The difference between an artisan certificate and a craft certificate is in their education levels. Artisan is level four, while craft is level 5 of the KNQA framework.
What are Artisan Courses?
Artisan courses are technical or vocational training programs offered in technical colleges and vocational training centers, commonly known as youth polytechnics. Artisan courses in Kenya are accessible throughout the country as artisan schools are decentralized. The admission requirements or qualifications for artisan courses are a primary school certificate (KCPE) or KCSE mean grade D—(minus) and below.
Artisan Courses Duration, Requirements, and Cost in Kenya
Artisan certificate and craft certificate courses are both technical courses; the difference between the two programs relates to their level of study. The artisan level is lower than the craft certificate on the learning curve. An artisan course takes 1-2 years of study. Examples of different types of artisans include mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, and welders, among others.
The requirements for artisan courses in Kenya are the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) mean grade D—(minus) and below. Those with a Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) certificate are also eligible, including secondary school dropouts. The cost of artisan courses in Kenya varies with the institution; for example, in polytechnics, the price is around Ksh 20,000 per year, while in technical colleges, the cost is over Ksh 60,000/-.
What Are the Benefits of Artisan Courses?
Artisan courses equip learners with valuable skills for employment or business. Skills acquired through this form of training can help learners start their own businesses and live dignified lives. Some artisan courses, such as carpentry, mechanics, tailoring, and electrical installation, are in great demand.
I heard that Artisan Courses are for academic failures.
Nothing is further from the truth. There are so many artisans leading a very successful life as a result of the education they acquired through artisan course certification. Besides, after completing an artisan course, you can look for a job, start your own business, or choose to further your education up to university level, depending on your interest.
Furthering Your Education.
An artisan course certification gives you a pathway to university education without stepping into a secondary school classroom. After every successful completion of one level, you can advance upwards in a related field. See below how this is possible.
- Get Artisan certificate
- Advance to Craft certificate
- Advance to Diploma certificate
- Advance to Degree certificate
What Are Some Examples of Artisan Courses?
There are so many artisan courses offered in various VTCs and TVETs across the country. Some examples include dressmaking, masonry, carpentry, mechanics, electrical installation, food processing, computer, leather work, metal work, welding, and fabrication, among many other fields. The list shared above is just a preview of the many courses. Some of the courses, especially non-technical ones, can be done online.
Career Guidance is Crucial
It’s advisable to seek personalized career guidance on artisan programs before committing to a study option. If you need help making informed decisions on artisan courses and related career options, we highly recommend getting career guidance first. Click here to access these resources.
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