The
Youth Entry Level Skills report by the Aga Khan University’s East Africa Institute, compiled a total of 9,355 interviews conducted in 24 counties, with 6362 employed youth and 693 self-employed youth in the formal and informal sector. The study, launched on November 6, analyzes entry-level skills and competencies required by employers, compared to the skills and capacities possessed by youth entering the labour market.
The goal is to provide employers and TVET institutions with an un
Panel discussion moderated by Zindzi Kibiku from Citizen TV, included: Aisha Njoki, Caroline Lukalo, James Siru, Levi Orero, Charity Micheni, and Samuel Mburu
derstanding to then influence technical and vocational skills development.
The event commenced with an expressive spoken word piece, based on the data and implications of the Survey, by Aisha Njoki, accompanied by guitarist, Shalom. Njoki’s poetry articulated the struggle youths face in securing employment and how she remains hopeful she can “knock on employment’s door”.
Disseminating key points and the implications of the report, Dr Alex Awiti, Vice Provost of Aga Khan University East Africa, engaged the attention of prominent stakeholders and leaders in attendance on the need for competency-based education to address the lack of skills and skills-mismatch between unemployed youth and employers. Additionally, Dr Awiti discussed the potential for acquiring job-specific skills through internships or attachments and on-site training.
Dr Awiti encouraged doing “what is right” for Kenyan citizens by noting the responsibility of government and institutions to implement report findings and data. As he urges for reform in the TVET curriculum in order to meet the demographics’ needs, Dr Awiti states: “We as a country have not created the opportunities to succeed.”
Nairobi Senator, Hon Johnson Sakaja, committed to bringing the research and data explicated in EAI’s Youth Entry Level Skills report to the forefront within parliament by delivering the report to Senate.
In discussing the links between unemployment, mental health, social media, and societal pressures, Hon Sakaja emphasized that the frustrations of disengaged youth are the “biggest threat to our country,” and deliberated on the barriers created for an already oppressed demographic.
He believes that there needs to be more of a focus on building life and social-emotional skills through trainings that concentrate on practical knowledge, such as learning to write a CV or developing interview skills. Hon Sakaja noted that economic improvement has not been a direct guarantor of job creation.
Echoing Hon Sakaja’s comments on the importance of the report, Mr. Julius Korir, Principal Secretary for the State Department of Public Service, commended the research and further committed to disseminating the report to inform policy aimed at addressing youth employment.
The launch of the report was also contextualized by a group of youth who shared their experiences within the formal and informal employment sectors. This interactive dialogue prompted the intriguing question of whether one’s “side-hustle,” or employment undertaken in addition to a full-time job, is a necessity to earn a living wage or simply a hobby. The notion of unequal supply and demand unraveled a contentious discussion of how a lack of employment options forces youth to exert maximum time and capacity in exchange for low wages. Separate suggestions were made encouraging youth to tap into technology by developing apps or utilizing WhatsApp networks.