Business

Diploma in Human Resource Management

This Level 5 competency-based programme prepares students to support the day-to-day people-management and record-keeping that keeps organisations running. It trains HR clerks and assistants who maintain personnel records, help with recruitment, support payroll, and ensure staff files and statutory requirements are in order.

Students learn to maintain HR records and files, support recruitment and onboarding, assist with payroll and benefits, apply basic employment-law requirements, support training and leave administration, handle staff welfare issues, and use HR systems and spreadsheets. They also develop communication, numeracy, digital-literacy, and ethics skills central to reliable, confidential HR support.

These skills matter because every employer must keep accurate staff records, pay staff correctly, and meet legal obligations such as contracts, NSSF, NHIF/SHIF, and PAYE. Graduates help organisations stay organised and compliant, reduce payroll errors and disputes, and free up managers to focus on their core work. Their support underpins decent work and smooth operations in businesses, SACCOs, NGOs, and county offices.

The programme blends classroom teaching, HR-software and spreadsheet labs, case studies, role-plays, and a supervised industrial attachment with an HR department or office. Assessment is competency-based, with learners judged on demonstrating real HR-support skills.

Graduates pursue careers as HR clerks, personnel records clerks, payroll clerks, and HR assistants in businesses, SACCOs, NGOs, and county governments, with progression to higher HR qualifications.

The programme is ideal for organised, reliable, people-oriented students who want a fast, practical route into office-based human-resource support roles.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 108,503
Private, up to: Ksh 106,650
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 45 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

8 subjects

HR Records and Filing Administration
Recruitment Support and Onboarding
Payroll Support and Statutory Deductions
Employment-Law Basics and Contracts
Leave, Attendance and Welfare Administration
HR Systems and Spreadsheet Skills
Communication and Office Administration
Ethics and Confidentiality in HR

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Human Resource Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
The role of HR in organisations, the employment cycle, and basic HR for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Business Communication
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Written and oral communication, office correspondence, and customer relations for professional practice and competency development in the field.
HR Records and Filing Administration
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Creating and maintaining personnel files, contracts, attendance and leave records.
Bookkeeping and Accounting
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Double-entry bookkeeping, financial records, ledgers, and trial balance for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Office Administration
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Office procedures, records management, filing systems, and office technology for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Recruitment and Onboarding Support
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Supporting job advertising, shortlisting, interview logistics for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Business Mathematics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Calculations for business: percentages, interest, discounts, and payroll for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Payroll Support and Statutory Deductions
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Capturing payroll data, computing PAYE, NSSF, NHIF/SHIF, allowances for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Employment-Law Basics and Contracts
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Basic Kenya employment law, employment contracts, types of employment for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Entrepreneurship and Marketing
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Business plan development, market identification, and small business management.
Computerized Accounting/Office Practice
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Using accounting software, spreadsheets, and office applications for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Leave, Attendance and Welfare Administration
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Recording attendance and leave, administering staff welfare, and handling for professional practice and competency development in the field.

Specialisations

Payroll Support
Capturing payroll data and computing statutory deductions and allowances to keep payroll accurate, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
HR Records and Filing
Creating and maintaining personnel files, attendance and leave records, and confidential HR correspondence, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Leave and Welfare Administration
Recording attendance and leave and administering staff welfare and basic queries, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
HR Systems and Office Administration
Using HR software, spreadsheets, and digital tools to manage records, payroll, and office tasks, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Recruitment Support
Supporting job advertising, shortlisting, interviews, and onboarding logistics, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards.

A day as a student

A typical day is office-oriented and hands-on. Mornings cover theory on HR records, recruitment support, payroll, and employment-law basics. Afternoons shift to practical exercises and computer labs, where students set up and maintain personnel files, record attendance and leave, compute payroll and statutory deductions, draft contracts and letters, and use HR systems and spreadsheets. Students also practise interviewing and onboarding tasks. During industrial attachment, they work in an HR office, SACCO, or county administration, applying records, payroll, and recruitment-support skills in a real workplace.

The trade offs

In its favour

Every employer needs HR support, so HR clerks and assistants are in steady demand across all sectors.
Lower entry bar (KCSE D+) widens access, with clear progression to Level 6 and diploma HR qualifications.
Practical, competency-based training that leads directly to office-based roles with regular hours.
Transferable records, payroll, and office skills that work in any industry and organisation.

Against it

Entry-level pay is modest, and progression depends on gaining experience and further qualifications.
The work can be repetitive and carries real responsibility for accuracy and confidentiality of staff records.

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 109k

67k at Public TVET colleges (standardised)109k at Kibabii University TVET

Private61k to 107k

61k at Zetech University107k at KCA 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

Kibabii 108K/yr (kibu.ac.ke); Zetech 61K/yr, KCA 107K/yr (tuko.co.ke, KCAU PDF)

Funding is available through the HELB TVET loan, NG-CDF and county government bursaries, the Mastercard Foundation TVET scholarship, and government capitation for public TVET students.

Funding options

HELB TVET Loan
NG-CDF Bursary
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Scholarships

5 recorded

Mastercard Foundation TVET Scholars Program
SponsorshipKsh 67,000Kenyan
Kenyan youth from disadvantaged backgrounds; TVET business programme; academic promise.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Resident of the county; business/HR student; financial need.
NG-CDF Bursary
BursaryKsh 15,000Kenyan
Resident of the constituency; needy student in a TVET programme.
Government TVET Capitation
GrantKsh 30,000Kenyan
Kenyan student placed in a public TVET institution; subsidised tuition through government capitation.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan citizen enrolled in an accredited TVET institution; financial need.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: KCSE mean grade D+ (Plus)
Alternative entry: A relevant Level 4 certificate, a Craft Certificate in Business or HR, or an equivalent qualification from a recognised institution. Prior learning and experience may be assessed for entry.

English or Kiswahili
D (plain)
Mathematics
D (plain)

How you are assessed

5 components

Theory Assessments
Cat20% of the mark
Written assessments covering HR records, payroll, recruitment support, and employment-law basics.
HR-Support Project
Project10% of the mark
A supervised project such as setting up personnel files or running a payroll for a simulated organisation.
Practical and Software Demonstrations
Practicum40% of the mark
Competency-based assessment where learners demonstrate records, payroll, recruitment-support, and HRIS skills against CDACC standards.
Final Competency Assessment (KNEC/CDACC)
Exam20% of the mark
Final practical and theory competency assessment administered and certified for the Level 5 qualification.
Industrial Attachment Assessment
Practicum10% of the mark
Assessment of competencies demonstrated during supervised workplace attachment, verified by the employer and trainer.

Accreditation

A competency-based qualification quality-assured by TVETA, with curriculum and assessment developed by the Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) and certification by KNEC.

Accredited by

Kenya National Examinations Council
NationalRequired
Administers competency assessment and issues certification for TVET Level 5 qualifications.
Technical and Vocical Education and Training Authority
NationalRequired
Mandatory accreditation for TVET institutions and programmes in Kenya.
Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council
NationalRequired
Develops the competency-based curriculum and assessment tools for this Level 5 qualification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Payroll Clerk
High demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 55,000
Captures payroll data, computes statutory deductions, and maintains payroll records for employers and outsourcing firms.
HR Assistant
Medium demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 60,000
Supports recruitment, onboarding, records, and welfare under an HR officer in SMEs and NGOs.
Office Administration Assistant
Medium demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 50,000
Handles general office and staff administration, records, and front-desk duties in small organisations.
Recruitment Support Assistant
Medium demandKsh 26,000 to Ksh 52,000
Helps recruitment agencies and in-house teams with advertising, shortlisting, interviews, and onboarding logistics.
HR Clerk / Personnel Records Clerk
High demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 50,000
Maintains personnel files, attendance and leave records, and HR correspondence in businesses, SACCOs, and county offices.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as HR clerks, personnel records clerks, payroll clerks, and HR assistants in businesses, SACCOs, NGOs, and county governments, with progression to higher HR qualifications.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

BambooHR
Hr softwarePrimary
HR management software for employee records and payroll
Microsoft Excel
Data analysisPrimary
Spreadsheet for HR data analysis and reporting
QuickBooks
Accounting software
Payroll and accounting software
Microsoft Office
Productivity suite
Office suite for HR documentation and correspondence

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

HR is just typing and filing.
HR support involves records, payroll, recruitment, statutory compliance, and confidentiality, all of which keep organisations lawful and running smoothly.
Level 5 qualifications only lead to dead-end clerical jobs.
Graduates enter HR offices and can progress to higher HR qualifications and officer roles, building a long-term HR career.
Software is making HR clerks obsolete.
HR systems still need trained people to capture, verify, and protect records and run payroll correctly.
You need to be outgoing to work in HR.
HR support needs reliability, accuracy, discretion, and basic people skills, which the training builds step by step.