Agriculture

Craft Certificate in Food Processing and Preservation Technology

The Craft Certificate in Food Processing and Preservation Technology is a KNEC Craft Certificate programme that trains students in food processing, preservation, and quality control skills. The course is examined by KNEC and offered across accredited TVET institutions in Kenya. Students learn food processing operations, canning, bottling, drying, fermentation, packaging, and food safety.

The curriculum covers communication skills, mathematics, science, information communication technology, entrepreneurship, and occupational safety. Core units include basic processing operations, canning and bottling, basic quality checking, fermentation, food safety and hygiene, storage management, packaging and labelling, drying and dehydration, and industrial attachment in a food processing company or factory.

Kenya's food processing sector, including fruit and vegetable processing, dairy processing, grain milling, and packaged food manufacturing, creates demand for certified food processing and preservation personnel. Food processing companies, canneries, dairies, and preservation enterprises require trained technicians for production and quality control operations.

Training combines classroom theory with practical sessions in food processing workshop environments. Students practice processing operations, canning, bottling, drying, fermentation, and packaging under supervised conditions. The programme includes industrial attachment in food processing companies or factories where students apply their skills in real production environments.

Graduates work as food processing assistants, canning and bottling assistants, quality control assistants, packaging assistants, and food preservation assistants in food processing companies, canneries, dairies, and preservation enterprises. The qualification provides a foundation for progression to Diploma in Food Science and Processing Technology for specialised food technology and quality management roles.

This programme is suitable for KCSE graduates with a mean grade of D (plain) who are interested in food production and processing and seeking technical positions in the food processing and preservation sector.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 2 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Certificate

What you study

8 subjects

Basic Processing Operations
Drying and Dehydration
Canning and Bottling
Fermentation
Packaging and Labelling
Storage Management
Hygiene Practices
Basic Quality Checking

Modules

8 in the programme

Food Safety and Hygiene
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Personal hygiene, food handling, and basic food safety practices including contamination prevention and sanitary food processing.
Basic Processing Operations
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Basic food processing including sorting, washing, peeling, cutting, and preliminary food preparation for processing operations.
Drying and Dehydration
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Sun drying, solar drying, and mechanical dehydration of foods for preservation including moisture removal and dried product storage.
Canning and Bottling
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Canning and bottling operations for food preservation including sterilisation, filling, sealing, and quality control.
Fermentation
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Fermentation for food preservation including yoghurt, beer, pickles, and controlled fermentation processes for food products.
Packaging and Labelling
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Packaging preserved foods and applying labels including packaging materials, sealing, and product labelling for food products.
Storage Management
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Proper storage of processed and preserved foods including temperature control, stock rotation, and storage condition management.
Basic Quality Checking
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
Basic quality checks on processed and preserved products including visual inspection, weight checks, and simple quality tests.

Specialisations

Packaging and Storage
Specialisation in packaging and storage management including packaging materials, labelling, and storage conditions for preserved foods.
Drying and Dehydration
Focus on drying and dehydration preservation methods including sun drying, solar drying, and mechanical dehydration of foods.
Fermentation
Focus on fermented food products including yoghurt, pickles, and fermented foods using controlled fermentation processes.
Canning and Bottling
Specialisation in canning and bottling operations including sterilisation, sealing, and quality control for preserved food products.

A day as a student

Students spend most of their time in workshops operating processing equipment, drying produce, canning and bottling products, fermenting foods, packaging, and maintaining hygiene standards.

The trade offs

In its favour

Practical food preservation skills for immediate employment.
Post-harvest loss reduction creates demand for preservation skills.
Foundation for progression to certificate and diploma in food technology.

Against it

Food processing environments require strict hygiene compliance.
Less theoretical foundation than full certificate programmes.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 303 agriculture courses

Public67k to 67k

67k at Rift Valley Technical Training Institute67k at Nairobi Technical Training Institute

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 67K/yr (tuko.co.ke RVTTI, campus.co.ke). Private: unverified.

TVET government funding and HELB loans are available.

Funding options

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

Scholarships

4 recorded

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

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: KCSE Mean Grade D (Plain)
Alternative entry: Artisan Certificate in a relevant field or equivalent qualification.

How you are assessed

3 components

Competency-Based Practical Assessment
Practicum50% of the mark
TVET-CDACC competency assessment of practical food preservation skills.
Theory Assessment
Test20% of the mark
Written assessment of supporting food preservation knowledge.
Preservation Projects
Project30% of the mark
Completion of food preservation projects — drying, canning, fermentation.

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

Processing Helper
High demandKsh 36,000 to Ksh 62,000
Support food processing operations and equipment.
Storage Assistant
Moderate demandKsh 34,000 to Ksh 55,000
Manage storage of processed and preserved food products.
Food Preservation Assistant
High demandKsh 38,000 to Ksh 68,000
Support food preservation operations including drying, canning, and fermentation.
Packaging Assistant
Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 58,000
Support packaging and labelling of preserved foods.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as food preservation assistants and processing helpers in food manufacturing and preservation enterprises 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.