KEPSA Chairperson Flora Mutahi[Photo: the-star.co.ke]
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance(KEPSA) has said it would empower one million youths with digital online job opportunities by 2023 through the Ajira Digital and Ready-to-Work programs.
The project, which would be done in partnership with Absa Bank Kenya is set to provide job-seeking youngsters with skills training that would help them access job opportunities.
KEPSA’s Chief Executive Officer Carole Kariuki noted that the partnership between the two would create interventions that will address the “youth burden before it gets out of hand.”
“With at least one million young Kenyans entering the job market each year, the economy has not been able to provide the required number of employment opportunities to sustain the high entrants witnessed. We hope that through our various engagements and activities that we will be conducted in line with this partnership we can unlock thousands of jobs to young people in the creative industry as influencers and content creators,” she said during the signing of the partnerships.
She further added that through KEPSA Foundation, the firm had partnered with over 1,000,000 businesses from all sectors of the economy in order to place the youth in positions where they would contribute to the economic growth of the country.
ABSA’s Managing Director Jeremy Awori who was also present at the ceremony added that through the collaboration, they would use the programs to establish digital and technologically enabled job opportunities.
“Youth empowerment, we believe, is a catalyst for positive social change in our communities and a tool that brings to light the potential that exists in every one of us…We hope to establish digital and technologically enabled job opportunities through this agreement, with the goal of connecting one million competent youth to these opportunities.” Awori said.
The Ajira Digital Program is a project of the Ministry of ICT, Innovation, and Youth, aimed at encouraging local companies and the public sector to create digital opportunities for the youth while the Ready-to-Work initiative creates a platform to engage them and help them materialize their careers through skills training and mentoring platforms from industry and marketplace experts.