NAIROBI, Kenya, July 19 – Tatu City has partnered with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to enhance vocational training and improve employment prospects for Kenyan youth in the construction and infrastructure sectors.
The collaboration, implemented under the Build4Skills and the Promotion of Youth Employment and Vocational Training programmes, aims to bridge the gap between classroom training and industry needs through on-the-job experience.
Build4Skills, a flagship programme commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, is designed to integrate practical vocational training directly into infrastructure projects. The initiative draws on Germany’s dual training model and is being rolled out at Tatu City to offer hands-on experience to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students.
“Our partnership with Tatu City offers the perfect platform to provide TVET trainees with relevant, on-site experience,” said Rehan Dubow, Vocational Training and Labour Market Advisor for Build4Skills. “We are aligning technical education with market demands.”
As part of the agreement, Tatu City plans to host at least 30 interns by the end of the year. Already, more than 10 interns from local institutions have benefited from placement opportunities across various departments at the mixed-use development.
“This is not only a response to current labour demands but a long-term vision to build a sustainable talent pipeline,” said Linda Nyaseda, Head of City Management at Tatu City. “We are investing in people just as much as infrastructure.”
The programme will also be supported by the Promotion of Youth Employment and Vocational Training initiative, jointly funded by the governments of Finland and Germany, which promotes closer collaboration between training institutions and private industry.
“We are proud to partner with a forward-thinking urban development like Tatu City,” said Immaculate Otieno, Advisor for the Youth Employment and Vocational Training Programme at GIZ. “This partnership demonstrates how practical training can empower youth and create lasting economic impact.”
The collaboration contributes to global goals for Quality Education (SDG 4) and Decent Work (SDG 8) by equipping youth with skills aligned to labour market needs.
Since inception, Tatu City has generated over 25,000 jobs, including 4,000 semi-skilled positions facilitated by the Tatu Labour Desk. Its in-house training institution, now known as Tatu Skills Hub, has trained over 500 young people in vocations such as masonry, carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work—more than 80 percent of whom have secured jobs within the city.
Currently home to over 100 companies, including Cold Solutions, Heineken, Dormans, Naivas, NCBA, and Davis & Shirtliff, Tatu City continues to develop as a model of inclusive, industrial-led growth in Kenya.
