Summit calls for stronger partnerships to tackle youth unemployment

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With more than one million young people entering the labour market each year, Kenya continues to grapple with the challenge of connecting its youth to meaningful employment.

Government officials, employers, and development partners convened in Nairobi for an Employers Summit aimed at exploring practical ways to bridge the gap between training and job opportunities.

The summit, organised by Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, was held under the theme “Bridging the Employment Gap Through Collaboration.”

It brought together government representatives, private sector leaders, development partners, and more than 2,000 young people who have benefited from SHOFCO-supported training and job placement programmes.

According to programme data shared at the summit, about 68 per cent of participants who complete the training transition into employment, with women accounting for nearly 70 per cent of those placed in jobs.

The event’s chief guest, Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs, emphasised the importance of collaboration in addressing youth unemployment and praised SHOFCO’s grassroots outreach.

“SHOFCO and other partners are doing the hard work of finding this talent in the places others don’t look. They understand that a skill is a bridge from hardship to hope,” Jacobs said.

He noted that the government cannot tackle the youth unemployment challenge on its own.

“This summit is a call to action. We are here because the government cannot do this alone. It takes the state, the private sector, and development partners, including SHOFCO, working together to build a bridge that can actually hold the weight of our national ambition,” he said.

Jacobs also urged private sector players to take a more active role in shaping training programmes.

Wambui Mbarire, Chief Executive Officer of the Retail Trade Association of Kenya (RETRAK), challenged perceptions about careers in retail.

“For years, retail has been unfairly viewed as a temporary stop for young people waiting for so-called better jobs. Yet retail builds discipline, customer intelligence, entrepreneurship, and leadership,” she said.

“It is a serious economic engine that deserves respect and recognition as a dignified career path for millions of Kenyan youth.”

Rajeev Arora, Executive Director of the Sainath Education Institute, called for stronger collaboration between employers, training institutions, and community organisations.

“Imagine a pipeline where SHOFCO identifies talent at the community level, Sainath offers training and employers offer internships and introduce pathways. This is not charity, this is structured economic development,” he said.

Through collaboration with Sainath under the SHOFCO Women Empowerment Programme (SWEP), 1,650 women have been trained in apparel manufacturing and related skills. Of these, 1,222 have already transitioned into formal employment within Export Processing Zones and other manufacturing companies.

For SHOFCO founder and CEO Kennedy Odede, the figures highlight both the urgency and the potential of youth empowerment.

“When I look at the 250,000 young men and women who have come through our livelihoods programme, I see the future workforce of this country,” Odede said.