Nairobi — The Kenya Kwanza Government will partner with the private sector in keeping its promise to provide employment opportunities for the millions of youths around the country who are currently unemployed.
Speaking in Nairobi on Thursday, Deputy President Righathi Gachagua reiterated that one of the main agendas in the government's economic transformation plan was job creation.
"The Kenya Kwanza administration is about jobs," Deputy President Gachagua said. "Where jobs are being created is where the president and I will be."
He was speaking at the Nation-Huawei Jobs Fair 2022 which was held in Nairobi.
He stated that the fair and other similar events would go a long way in opening up job opportunities, sharing ideas and experiences as well as driving Kenya into the much-needed job creation discourse.
"As Government, we are alive to the concerns raised on the skills gap out of the
estimated 900,000 graduates entering the labour market every year. That is why H.E.
President William Ruto established a State Department for Labour and Skills Development to work with other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as well as the private sector to address this concern," said the DP. "Similarly, we are addressing our education system with the future of work in mind."
Presentations at the job fair showed that the future of work will heavily lean on the digital skills set of job applicants, and to prepare its youthful population for this future, DP Gachagua said that the government will play a key role in ensuring job seekers have the necessary skills.
By the year 2030, research has shown that over 230 million new jobs will be created in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, these jobs require ICT skills.
"An estimated USD 130 Billion investment opportunity lies in digital skills cultivation in Africa. During this period, 50-55% of jobs in Kenya will depend on digital skills. This is an open cheque to you," the DP said. "Digital Technology will be central to our job creation agenda as promised."
He also called on the private sector to work with the government to seek solutions to the unemployment problem.
Also speaking at the event, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts Ababu Namwamba said that the government was also keen on connecting all youth to both local and global opportunities through technology including those within government institutions.
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"We are happy that Huawei has accepted to take 500 youth from the National Youth Service and take them through a digital skills programme," CS Ababu said.
Also in attendance was the Federation of Kenya Employers CEO Jacqueline Mugo who said that employers are faced with a skills mismatch between available opportunities and the workforce.
"The skills mismatch in the job market is a major concern for employers. We look forward to working with the government to bridge this gap," Ms. Mugo said. "The youth have faced one of the highest numbers of job losses over the recent years and we must partner to reverse these losses."
Others present were the Nation Media Group CEO Stephen Gitagama, Huawei CEO Will Meng and the National Youth Service's CEO and Director General. - DPPs
