Is this the solution to youth unemployment?

The recent financing agreement between the World Bank group, and the National Treasury with the inclusion of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, under the auspices of the Kenya youth employment and opportunities project is a step in the right direction.

The agreement, if implemented well, will go a long way to transform the lives of many disenfranchised youth in the country .Statistics on youth unemployment in Kenya paint a grim picture of a country which has skilled manpower yet the economy cannot absorb these groups of people into gainful employment.

 Just recently a good number of students graduated from universities across the country (more are expected by the end of the year), and are expecting to be absorbed into the job market as early as possible. The reality on the ground speaks otherwise, stories of how fresh graduates engage in the ‘art’ of tarmacking will no longer be tales but the sad reality they will have to come to terms with.

 For far too long the youth in this country have been taken for granted especially those that have gone to university, and are expected to get into employment yet the opportunities are so meagre.  At this point I would agree with Makau Mutua’s assertion that the system was always rigged from the beginning only that, this time round the situation is worse off if you come from a humble background and have no connections.

In order to nip this cycle of tarmacking  in the bud , given that the transition rates to universities is increasing by the year, the ‘suits’ at the Kenya Employment and Opportunities Project ought to do is be different from the litany of empowerment projects initiated by past and present governments.

Take a seat. First and foremost, members of KEPSA who are part of KYEP should publicize any information with regard to member organizations and companies that have been selected to offer internships, the onus will then be on fresh graduates to seek these opportunities in order to enrich their CVs and employability prospects .This will go a long way in disputing the fallacy that universities are producing half-baked graduates.

Secondly universities that have been chosen as centers of excellence , the likes of Moi University, Egerton university , and Jaramogi Oginga University of Science and Technology , should use the allocated resources in the right manner and implement their respective projects  expeditiously.We don’t want another NYS or people being asked to go for lighter duties.

Thirdly, and this is a plea to all members of the fourth estate , let’s set the agenda on youth unemployment in this country and continuously call  for accountability in youth related matters, lest these old guard nowadays fashioning themselves as digital do away with the youth’s future .

Lastly, and this is for every legit youth out there, lets seize opportunities such as the KYEP to gain skills and expertise in our areas of interest .We should also actively question how programs that are meant to empower the youth are being conceptualized and implemented .By being actively involved we are bound to succeed and drive this nation, Kenya, to greater heights socially, economically and politically. Rome wasn’t built in a day so let’s get off our comfort zones and get our hands dirty by literally staking up that ‘paper’.