From Hand to Paper: How Recognition of Prior Learning(RPL) Shapes Social Livelihoods of Informal construction Workers in Mwanza City, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined how Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) reconfigures the social dimensions of livelihoods amongst informal construction workers in Mwanza, Tanzania. Adopting an interpretive qualitative design, the study employed purposive sampling to select 42 participants, including 37 certified workers and 5 key informants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (SSIs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) and analysed using thematic analysis informed by the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF).

The findings indicate that RPL acts as a transformative force by reshaping the internal social reality of workers, transitioning them from marginalised “street artisans” to recognised technicians with increased psychological agency. While RPL fostered linking social capital through formal associations and access to government tenders, it simultaneously introduced a stratified livelihood landscape that weakened traditional bonding social capital by creating intra-communal stratification and envy.

Furthermore, certification served as an institutional social shield for women, neutralising the influence of gendered gatekeepers and facilitating shifts into leadership roles. However, a fragmented market response revealed a mismatch between institutional human capital and the functional logic of private contractors.

The study concludes that while RPL successfully converts human capital (tacit mastery) into linking social capital (institutional recognition), it fails to significantly translate into financial capital (wages) due to market resistance. Practical recommendations include implementing peer-to-peer mentorship to preserve communal bonding and establishing digital portfolios to bridge the valuation gap between certified workers and contractors.