Govt using skills inventory to place youths into jobs » Capital News
KISUMU, Kenya, Jul 19 – The Ministry of State Labour and Skills Development has put into use its skills inventory for easy access to locate the best resource for jobs both locally and internationally.
The Ministry’s Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime says the ministry carried out a skills inventory in February this year after complaints from entrepreneurs within the country.
Mwadime says the inventory will be of benefit to young people who will be migrating abroad for jobs.
“We wanted to know the kind of skills they have so that we see where there is a skills gap,” he said.
The PS says through the exercise, the government will be informed on the curriculum change, so as to prepare young people for the labour market.
“It is futile, really, for someone to spend four years in the University or TVETS and then after that you are unable to secure a job,” he said.
The PS spoke in Kisumu at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), during a two days National Job Fair, giving young people a chance to obtain career and employment information and also to meet with employers and employment agencies.
The PS says the government will hold such Job Fairs across the country to reach out to the young people, with the message on how to locate jobs.
“We want to reach out to our young people, you realize that the reason why some of them have gone to the streets is because of the rate of unemployment,” he said.
However, Mwadime says there are job openings, particularly in Western European Countries, owing to the fact that they are having an ageing population.
“Job opportunities are plentiful in these countries, and that is why we are here to appraise the young for unskilled and skilled labour,” he said.
The PS announced that the government will soon sign a bilateral agreement with Germany in September to open up more opportunities for the country.
He noted that the Ministry is pursuing about 19 bilateral labour agreements with some Western European Countries and also some Middle East Countries for professionals.
“In Kenya we have very skilled young people and very discipline, that is the kind of brand that we are marketing outside there,” he said.
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