By Milliam Murigi @millymur1
The Kenyan government is intensifying reforms in skills development to address rising youth unemployment and a widening mismatch between the education system and labor market demands.
Speaking during the Africa Skills For Jobs Policy Academy Forum in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary Ministry Of Education Julius Migos Ogamba whose speech was read by Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano said that these reforms will ensure that youths don’t face long-term exclusion from meaningful economic opportunities.
Currently, many firms report difficulties in filling positions due to inadequate skills among applicants, while young people remain disengaged as they struggle to secure decent jobs.
“To tackle the challenge, the government is expanding access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), targeting to raise enrollment from 700,000 to 2 million students by the end of the year. Alongside this expansion, the government is rolling out Dual Training, a model that links industry directly with institutions to ensure trainees gain practical, market-relevant skills,” said Migos.
According to him, the reforms aim not only at unemployed youth, but also at upskilling existing workers, supporting out-of-school youth, and promoting green and digital skills. Most importantly, the government is focused on building practical technical skills in close partnership with industry, while strengthening the digital and entrepreneurial competencies of TVET trainees to prepare them for diverse career pathways.
“Our task is to ensure that our education and training systems and initiatives can benefit all segments of the population. That is learners transitioning from basic education, formal and informal sector workers, out of school youths, and adults seeking continuing education or to retool,” he added.
He revealed that, the government is deliberately positioning skills development as a driver of economic growth, social inclusion, and technological advancement. Noting that increasing the proportion of skilled workers will attract more investment, as firms will be able to rely on a workforce equipped with the knowledge and competencies needed to boost productivity.
Speaking at the same event, Ndiame Diop, Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa at the World Bank Group said that with over one million young people entering the labor market every month in Africa, and 86 percent of jobs concentrated in the informal sector, skills training is increasingly being seen as a lifeline for poverty reduction, economic growth, and technological advancement.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is full of talent and energy, yet it faces a pressing challenge: how to turn its fast-growing workforce into an engine of competitiveness and shared prosperity,” he said.
According to him, skills are the bridge to transformation. Economies cannot move from subsistence farming to modern agrifood, from small retail to scalable services, or into competitive manufacturing and digital industries without stronger skills systems.
However, he revealed that for skills systems to effectively respond to employers’ needs, employers must be deeply involved not only in curriculum design, but also in offering apprenticeships, internships, staff exchanges, and even co-financing training. Governments, on the other hand, remain both the primary providers and the rule setters, shaping the incentives and environment within which these systems operate.
