Business

Artisan in Storekeeping

The Artisan in Storekeeping is a TVET-CDACC Level 4 competency-based programme that trains students in fundamental storekeeping and inventory support skills for business and manufacturing organisations. The course is examined by TVET-CDACC and offered across accredited TVET institutions in Kenya. Students learn basic stock handling, receiving, storing, issuing, record keeping, and warehouse safety practices.

The curriculum covers basic units including communication skills, numeracy skills, digital literacy, entrepreneurial skills, employability skills, environmental literacy, and occupational safety and health practices. Core units focus on stock counting, basic stock receiving, basic record keeping, stock storage, store safety, stock issuing, and industrial attachment in a store or warehouse environment.

Kenya's manufacturing, retail, and distribution sectors create demand for entry-level storekeeping personnel. Warehouses, retail stores, manufacturing companies, and government departments require trained store assistants for stock management, material handling, and inventory support operations.

Training combines classroom theory with practical sessions in store and warehouse environments. Students practice stock receiving, counting, storing, issuing, record keeping, and material handling under supervised conditions. The programme includes industrial attachment in stores or warehouses where students apply their skills in real inventory management environments.

Graduates work as store helpers, stock assistants, warehouse assistants, and inventory helpers in manufacturing companies, retail stores, warehouses, and government departments. The qualification provides a foundation for progression to Storekeeping Level 5 and Level 6 for specialised inventory management and supply chain roles.

This programme is suitable for KCSE certificate holders with a mean grade of E or KCPE certificate who are interested in store operations and seeking entry-level positions in warehousing and inventory management.

Duration: 1 year
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 45,000
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 1 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Artisan Certificate

What you study

8 subjects

Basic Stock Handling
Simple Record Assistance
Store Cleaning
Tool Handling
Material Carrying
Workplace Safety
Basic Packaging
Store Assistance

Modules

8 in the programme

Workplace Safety
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Occupational safety and health practices in stores and warehouses including safe lifting, stacking, material handling, and personal protective equipment.
Basic Stock Handling
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Handling and moving stock in stores including receiving, sorting, stacking, and organising materials for efficient store operations.
Simple Record Assistance
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Assisting with basic store records including stock cards, goods received notes, issue vouchers, and simple inventory tracking for store operations.
Store Cleaning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Cleaning and maintaining store areas including floor sweeping, shelf cleaning, waste removal, and general store housekeeping for organised storage.
Tool Handling
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Handling basic store tools and equipment including pallet jacks, trolleys, scales, and measuring devices for routine store operations.
Material Carrying
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Carrying and transporting materials in stores including manual handling, trolley use, stacking, and moving goods between storage locations.
Basic Packaging
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Basic packaging and wrapping of goods including packing materials, labelling, sealing, and preparing items for storage or dispatch.
Store Assistance
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
General assistance in store operations including stock counting, shelf arrangement, material fetching, and routine support to storekeepers.

Specialisations

General Store Support
General store assistance including stock counting, shelf arrangement, material fetching, record assistance, and routine support to storekeepers.
Store Maintenance
Focus on store cleanliness and maintenance including floor cleaning, shelf organisation, waste removal, and general store housekeeping for organised storage.
Packaging
Specialisation in packaging operations including packing materials, wrapping, labelling, sealing, and preparing goods for storage and dispatch.
Stock Handling
Focus on stock transport and handling including receiving, sorting, stacking, moving goods, and basic material management for efficient store operations.

A day as a student

Students spend virtually all their time in stores handling stock, carrying materials, assisting with records, cleaning, packaging, and performing basic store assistance tasks.

The trade offs

In its favour

Quick entry to storekeeping workforce with basic skills.
Most affordable entry point to storekeeping.
Foundation for progression to craft, certificate, and diploma.

Against it

Entry-level positions have modest salaries.
Physical work involving carrying materials.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 331 business courses

Public67k to 67k

67k at Coast Institute of Technology67k at Friends College Kaimosi

Private41k to 45k

41k at CHRM College45k at Zetech University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

Public TVET 67,189/yr. Private: CHRM 41K, Zetech 45K/yr (chrm.or.ke, zetech.ac.ke).

TVET government funding and HELB loans are available. Artisan programmes are the most affordable entry point to storekeeping.

Funding options

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Funding
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) - TVET Loans

Scholarships

4 recorded

National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF)
BursaryKenyan
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKenyan
Residents of respective counties.
TVET Funding
Government fundingKenyan
Kenyan citizens enrolled in accredited TVET institutions.
HELB TVET Loans
LoanKenyan
Kenyan citizens enrolled in accredited TVET institutions.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: KCSE Mean Grade D- (Minus) or below, or KCPE certificate
Alternative entry: KCPE certificate holders are also eligible. No specific subject requirements.

How you are assessed

3 components

Competency-Based Practical Assessment
Practicum60% of the mark
TVET-CDACC competency assessment of practical storekeeping skills.
Theory Assessment
Test15% of the mark
Basic written assessment of supporting storekeeping knowledge.
Practical Projects
Project25% of the mark
Completion of basic store assistance tasks.

Accreditation

Accredited by Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and certified by TVET Curriculum Development Assessment and Certification Council (TVET-CDACC) under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF). The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), the statutory body responsible for quality assurance and regulation of university education in Kenya.

Accredited by

TVET Curriculum Development Assessment and Certification Council
NationalRequired
Examining and certifying body for competency-based programmes under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF).
Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority
NationalRequired
Mandatory accreditation for all TVET institutions and programmes in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Stock Carrier
Moderate demandKsh 23,000 to Ksh 38,000
Transport and carry stock in warehouses.
Store Cleaner
Moderate demandKsh 22,000 to Ksh 36,000
Maintain cleanliness in store areas.
Store Helper
Moderate demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 42,000
Assist with basic store operations and stock handling.
Packaging Assistant
Low demandKsh 24,000 to Ksh 40,000
Support packaging and wrapping operations.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as store helpers and stock carriers in warehouses, shops, and manufacturing companies across Kenya.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

This programme has limited career opportunities.
Graduates pursue diverse career paths across multiple sectors in Kenya and internationally.