Thirty-three young Kenyans have been selected for vocational training and jobs in Germany's hospitality industry, Citizen Digital reported. The selection was announced at the Kenya-Germany Skills and Labour Mobility Forum in Nairobi. The one-day forum brought together German employers, Kenyan TVET institutions, government officials, development partners and labour mobility practitioners.
The group is the second cohort under the Talent Gateway Programme. The German development agency GIZ runs it on behalf of the German Government. The first cohort of 31 trainees left for Germany in August 2026 to train in hospitality and landscaping.
Candidates went through screening interviews, practical aptitude tests and final interviews with eight hotels in Germany. Before they travel, they will receive preparatory training in Kenya. It covers German language, hospitality skills and intercultural orientation. In Germany, they will start a two-year dual training programme that mixes classroom lessons with work experience. Those who complete it will earn recognised German vocational qualifications.
German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth said young people should build skills before they migrate. "You have to develop skills first, and then you have migration second," he said. He also praised Kenya's dual training model, which combines theory with practical industry experience.
Moses Ivuto, Secretary for Administration, spoke on behalf of the Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development. He said ethical recruitment and proper preparation must remain central. Workers must understand their contracts, recruitment costs, rights and working conditions before they leave, he said. He added that candidates need enough time to review documents before signing.
Irene Karari, Director of the Skills and Expertise Division at the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, also addressed the forum. She called the partnership an important link between Kenya's growing youth workforce and Germany's demand for skilled workers. She said the initiative would support economic empowerment and protect the welfare of Kenyans abroad.
The programme is expanding beyond hospitality and landscaping. Applications for Food Processing Technicians are open, according to Citizen Digital. The scheme falls under the Kenya-Germany Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership, signed in September 2024. The deal aims to create safe labour mobility pathways and strengthen vocational training in Kenya.