What is the place of ‘youth skills for peace and development’ in the modern world?

Kenya’s future beams with the energy of its youth. A staggering 75 percent of the population falls under the age of 35, a demographic brimming with potential to shape the nation's economic and social landscape. However, this youth bulge potential remains dormant without the access and use of the right tools, skills and opportunities.

Equipping young people with employable skills is imperative for any country to achieve sustainable peace and development. On July 15, the global community marked the World Skills Day under the theme, “Youth Skills for Peace and Development”.

Reflecting on this, it is important to note that skills are not merely a path to economic prosperity, but a cornerstone of social good. While technical and vocational training equips young Kenyans for decent jobs, the equation extends far beyond employability.

Kenya, like many nations, has grappled with conflicts, with the youth often being viewed as potential perpetrators. This perception ignores their inherent power as peacemakers. While equipping them with technical employability skills, it is equally imperative to impart tools of negotiation, communication, and empathy, to transform them into active agents of change in economic development as well as social agents of resolving conflicts and fostering dialogue within their communities.

Economic empowerment works hand-in-hand with peace. When people are engaged in meaningful income generating activities, they are both productive and peaceful. According to a research report by the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), there are about 800,000 fresh graduates entering the Kenyan job market every year, and the formal 9-5pm job market can only take up about half of this. This scenario has seen the country’s youth unemployment rate continue to rise; a social injustice. This calls for all stakeholders to innovate and introduce alternative sources of work opportunities, both locally and globally.

Equipping young people with in-demand skills – digital marketing, content creation, virtual assistance, graphic design, cloud computing, data analytics et al – not only increases their employability and entrepreneurial capabilities, but also fuels innovation and economic diversification.

Ajira Digital Programme, an initiative of the government spearheaded by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, exemplifies this approach.

The programme, a public private partnership with Mastercard Foundation, eMobilis and Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), provides free access to practical digital work-readiness skills that align with current job market needs. It empowers young Kenyans to not just find online/digital employment, but to also drive innovation in the digital economy.

The impact of youth skills transcends the economic realm. Young people armed with knowledge and skills can lead initiatives that tackle social issues like poverty, mental health, and gender equality, diversity and inclusion. To fully harness this potential, the Ajira Digital programme is entrenched on a multifaceted approach to fully equip young people with the necessary digital skills and opportunities for the future of work.  

Collaboration is a key pillar that drives the success of this programme, where the government, private sector, and international partners play vital roles in its planning, implementation and evaluation for sustainable impact.  

Continued investment in Ajira Youth Empowerment Centres (AYECs) across the country allows young people to access free digital tools such as computers, internet, working space and mentors to get the right skills and linkage to online work opportunities.

At universities as well as technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, Ajira Digital Clubs act as points of access, for college students to gain the right digital work-readiness skills and opportunities to try their hands at gig work while studying. This allows a complementary approach where the young people can put into practice the skills learnt in classrooms to provide solutions to the global market and earn dignified incomes to cater for their needs and contribute to nation building.

Remember, when young people are engaged in meaningful and respectable work, they will focus all their energy to productive work, resulting in personal and economic development. Consequently, peace will be an automatic outcome.

Empowering young people is not just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic necessity for Kenya’s development and long-term peace. By investing in their skills and opportunities, Kenya is investing in a brighter, more prosperous future for all.

Take control of your future – access free skilling and job linkage programmes via www.ajiradigital.go.ke .