Resilience, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and integrity are key attributes employers look for in entry-level youth. Employers look for individuals willing to consciously take on difficult tasks at the workplace and adapt to challenges in a smart and flexible manner.
These were discussions held at a roundtable forum with human resource practitioners from the Aga Khan Development Network and youth empowerment organisations. The forum, hosted by the Aga Khan University’s East Africa Institute (EAI), focused on youth employment in Kenya, skills gaps in the workplace and the country’s future job market.
According to EAI’s Youth Entry Level Skills Report, 34 per cent of vocational training graduates and 29 per cent of University graduates would like to acquire entrepreneurship skills in the future, despite training at a Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institution or University. This shows that critical skills, like entrepreneurship, are not taught at a satisfactory enough level where students believe what they have learned in a formal academic institution makes them competitive in the job market.
Human resource practitioners noted that compliance training was one vital best practice their organisations commit to carrying out in order to adequately prepare their workforce. For example, Frigoken trains new employees in the first six months on the job, while Serena Hotels trains in hospitality and teaches pastry chef skills — a skill in demand in today’s job market, but not taught effectively in formal institutions.
“The disconnection between people who train and the jobs they’re training for is disconcerting. Trainers are teaching students skills that are neither in market-demand nor are they needed in the workplace,” says Aga Khan University Vice Provost East Africa, Dr. Alex Awiti, “it is a shame how much money and time we spend as employers on training, despite the entry-level youth going through school.”
Although there is a fear that organisations like Frigoken, Serena Hotels or the Aga Khan University may serve as training grounds where workers leave after being trained, AKDN agencies believe effective training is mutually beneficial for both the employer and employee.
Stakeholders concluded that the future of Kenya’s job market will see a demand for workers who are knowledgeable and experienced in fields like agriculture, information technology, manufacturing, construction, renewable energy and the service sector. The future will see industries operating on a more mechanized level and will require a competent and reliable workforce that is effectively trained before entering the workplace.
One consensus amongst the human resource practitioners was that there will always remain a demand for the human aspect of an individual that technology can’t replace — compassion, integrity, honesty and loyalty.
