Digital Skills Without a Certificate: How RPL Recognises What You Learned on Your Phone and Laptop

By Delight Technical College | School of Tailoring, Fashion & Design- RPL | 2026

Ask a young Nairobi tailor how she finds clients and the answer may involve WhatsApp, Instagram and M-Pesa. Ask a boutique manager how she orders fabric and she may mention email, online catalogues and a spreadsheet. These are digital skills, and many people have built them without ever sitting in a computer class. The unit Digital Literacy, the first unit in Level 5, recognises these skills and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can certify them.

💻 What Digital Literacy Means in the Workplace

Digital Literacy is not about knowing how to use every gadget. It is about using digital tools confidently and responsibly to do real work. A digitally literate fashion professional can usually:

• Operate a computer, smartphone or tablet and manage files and folders
• Write, format and save documents such as price lists, letters and quotations
• Use a spreadsheet to record orders, costs and payments
• Send and manage email professionally
• Search the internet effectively and judge whether a source is reliable
• Use social media and messaging apps to share work and talk to clients
• Protect personal and business information online

🎓 Where This Unit Sits in the Delight Learning Guide

Unit 8: Digital Literacy

• Module III | Level 5 (Craft) | Term Three
• The first of five Term Three units
• Entry to Level 5 is KCSE D, or a Level 4 certificate

📱 You May Know More Than You Think

Many people underestimate their digital skills because they learned them informally. If you can do the following, you already have valuable evidence:

• Manage a business WhatsApp account with a catalogue of your products
• Take, edit and share product photographs
• Send invoices or quotations by email or messaging apps
• Keep records of sales or expenses on a phone or computer
• Use online tools to research fabrics, trends or suppliers

🗂️ Evidence That Works for Digital Skills

• Screenshots of a business social media page or WhatsApp catalogue, with private details hidden
• Examples of documents you created, such as a price list or order form
• A spreadsheet you use to track orders, stock or income
• Copies of professional emails sent to suppliers or clients
• A statement from an employer or colleague confirming how you use digital tools at work

🖥️ What an Assessment May Include

Because digital skills are practical, an assessor may ask you to complete short tasks, such as creating a simple document, entering data into a spreadsheet or sending an email with an attachment. They may also ask about safe practice, such as how you protect passwords and avoid scams.

🚀 Steps to Take

• List the digital tools you use for work and how often you use them
• Collect examples of your work, hiding client details where needed
• Practise a few simple tasks so you feel comfortable on assessment day
• Speak to an RPL adviser about how your digital experience matches the unit

🙋 If You Feel You Are Not “Techy” Enough

Many people dismiss their digital skills because they never took a computer class. Level 5 Digital Literacy is about everyday workplace skills, not programming. If you can manage your files, write a short document, keep a simple spreadsheet and use email or messaging safely, you are on the right track. Practise a few tasks with a friend before the assessment, use the device you know best and remember that assessors want to see practical, reliable competence.

“In today’s workplace, being digitally capable is not a luxury. If you already are, a certificate should say so.”

💡 Already running your business from your phone? Ask Delight Technical College how RPL can recognise your digital skills. Call +254 722 533 771 or visit Muindi Mbingu Street, Nairobi.

📍 Delight Technical College | Muindi Mbingu Street, Opposite Jevanjee Gardens, Nairobi | +254 722 533 771 | www.delight.ac.ke