The Covid-19 crisis has been blamed for worsening youth unemployment across the country.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui has said that as the virus continues to wreak havoc on the public and private sectors, more people are losing jobs. Young people have borne the brunt of its economic fallout.
He said those coming out of institutions of higher learning also have fewer job opportunities. He said the majority of those affected are people between the age of 18 and 35 — the youth bracket, according to the Constitution.
“While our country has been having unemployment challenge, especially among the youth, the current Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation,” Chelugui said.
“If there is ever a time that we needed to invest in our current youth, that time is now. The youth need information on skills, occupations and economic sectors that are in high demand. This information will help them make informed career choices.”
The CS was speaking at Chamasiri Technical Training Institute in Teso North, Busia. He was at the institution to officiate the launch of a technical skills programme to be implemented in collaboration with the National Industrial Training Authority.
Chelugui said to make employment information available, the government, through the Labour ministry, developed a web-based platform known as the Kenya Labour Market Information System — a one-stop-shop for all labour market information in the country.
“The system is designed to provide timely, accurate, and reliable and up-to-date labour market information. It further gives useful information to the youth such as occupations and skills in high demand; the future skills requirements in various sectors and pathways for career progression, which all contribute to enhancing their overall employability,” he said.
Chelugui said the government’s vision 2030 and the Big Four Agenda are projected to expand the size of the national workforce.
“Through institutions such as National Industrial Training Authority and by leveraging on its demographic advantage, Kenya has the potential to unleash new economic possibilities created by future industries and labour markets, dramatically raising labour productivity and per capita incomes, diversifying its economy, and becoming an engine for stable economic growth, high-skilled talent and job creation for decades to come,” he said.
The CS spoke at a time when unemployment is increasingly becoming a major challenge, primarily to the young population. Official data shows that about 800,000 youths enter the labour market every year after graduating from learning institutions above the secondary school level.
The data also shows that the youth constitute 80 per cent of unemployed Kenyans. Players in both the public and private sectors have indicated that unemployment in the country may worsen as Covid-19 cases continue to rise since businesses are crumbling as government streamlines its expenditure because of low revenue.
The CS was accompanied by Labour Principal Secretary Peter Tum, Teso North MP Oku Kaunya and former Amagoro MP Albert Ekirapa.