The disconnect between Ajira Digital Program and job market

Students, lecturers and other stake holders at Egerton University during the launch of Ajira Digital Club at the University on June 25, 2021. [Daniel Chege, The Standard] Some of the courses offered under the government's Ajira Digital Program may not be relevant in the job market, according to a new study that shows how political power is wielded through these centres. The study by non-profit organisation Siasa Place in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Fuatilia Ahadi reveals that in some cases, admission into the programme is controlled by local leaders such as MPs or their affiliates. Additionally, in the counties where the study's findings were generated, not all equipment that is provided is working. In some of the centres, only a handful of the computers are operational as others struggle with electricity bills. This is even as some of the centres are non-existent on the ground yet they were launched, according to the Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology and Digital Economy. The study focused on three counties: Homa Bay, Kakamega, and Mombasa. A total of 481 participants were interviewed. Titled 'Navigating the Transition from Education to the Digital Labour Market: Insights and Recommendations, the study finds that the lack of having an affiliate institution embedded to the programme affects the quality of courses offered. This in turn affects employability of the graduates. According to the study, more than half of the graduates (62.92 per cent) of the programme found their footing in the job market with majority of them being self-employed at 34.58 per cent followed by the employed at 15.83 per cent, and consistent casual labourers at 12.50 per cent. Some 37.08 per cent of the graduates were still unemployed by the time the findings were being gathered in August 2024. The study notes lack of standardisation in the manner Ajira centres operate. "While Ajira centres were found to be generally relevant, they were not always responsive to the market's demands," the study says. It adds that those that formed partnerships with local institutions were more relevant and responsive. This is because they offered a wider range of courses that aligned better with market demands. "In contrast, standalone Ajira centres were less responsive because they primarily offered basic computer packages which were not in high demand," the study adds. "Majority of those who appreciated Ajira centers were those who went through (centres) that had a collaboration with higher learning." It cites Mawengo Polytechnic (Homa Bay County), Technical University of Mombasa (Mombasa County) as some of the Ajira centres with higher learning institution affiliation. "(This is) because they offered courses in areas such as graphic design, content creation, and product marketing compared to those that operated independently without a partnership like Matungu CDF centres without such collaborations and focused mainly on basic computer skills, which were less aligned with current market demands," the study says. It dissects the political influence the centres have on the electorate, citing them as a tools to exert influence. "While the programme was intended to benefit each constituency, the study found significant disparities, with some constituencies hosting multiple centres, while others had none at all," the report says. "In some regions, the centres were used as political tools, with management controlled by local Members of Parliament or their affiliates." Access is also a challenge with rural areas affected more, including non-functional centres, compared to urban areas where they were open frequently. For example, the frequency of opening for the urban centres was more compared to rural. "Some of the centres were within the ICT hubs within the constituency offices which the youth had no problems with while others were established within police station and chiefs' offices and the youth had a problem, indicating that those spaces are more associated with intimidation." In Homa Bay County, the study found that out of the nine Ajira centres visited, seven were operational. Omiro CDF and Magunga exist on the Ajira website but not on the ground. In Mombasa County, Shika Adabu Ajira centre is not operational as the computers were transferred to Likoni NG-CDF centre, which is operational. JKUAT is not operational as the equipment broke down and there is no designated structure for the centre in the campus. Malinya CDF in Kakamega County, while being operational, has three functional laptops out of 30. Matungu CDF was issued with 39 laptops but only two are functional while Khwisero, Koyonzo Chief's Camp and Butere Shiatsala centres are not operational. In Kakamega County, of the 12 centres, five do not exist on the ground yet they are listed on the website. These are: Butere Marenyo chief camp, Shiseso Health centre, Iguhu police station and Eregi chief's camp. Among the recommendations in the study is for such centres to be relocated to neutral and youth-friendly places. Additionally, the government should make deliberate effort to standardise content and delivery through partnerships and collaborations with already established institutions. "In areas without such institutions, the government could implement mobile centres equipped with standardised content and all necessary tools to facilitate effective delivery," the study recommends. The Ajira Digital Program was launched back in 2017 under then President Uhuru Kenyatta and received a grant of Sh100 million from the Rockefeller Foundation. The grant targeted 10,000 youth. "Creation of employment is one of the government's policy agendas and that is why we came up with the Ajira Program to introduce young people to work opportunities that are available online and provide them with the right skills and tools," said then ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru. The programme is key to President William Ruto's job creation strategy which is key in improving the country's foreign reserves through remittances. It targets a million youth who are to be empowered to take part in the gig economy as the government positions Kenya as the source of labour in the digital economy for business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs such as call centres. "We are determined to claim our fair share of the BPO pie for the benefit of our young men and women who are eager to contribute to growing our economy," said President Ruto in May 2024 during the launch of Call Centre International Global Contact Centre at Tatu City in Kiambu County.

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