Employment
The government is pursuing 19 bilateral labour relations with Western European and Middle East countries to enable unemployed skilled Kenyans to secure jobs abroad.
State Department for Labour and Skills Development Principal Secretary (PS) Shadrack Mwadime said negotiations with various countries in the two regions were at an advanced stage, even as the government moves to address rising unemployment in the country.
Mwadime said the government has concluded negotiations with Germany, with the two countries set to sign the pact in September this year to unlock opportunities for skilled Kenyans to work in the foreign country.
“We have had two rounds of negotiations, one in Germany and another here in the country. Germany has an aging population, whereas Kenya has a youthful population. We are set to sign the bilateral labour relations agreement this September so that our young people can secure jobs in Germany,” he said.
The PS noted that the move to send Kenyans abroad, was not only meant to address unemployment in the country, but also boost Kenya’s economy through diaspora remittances. Kenyans living in the diaspora, he said, remitted Sh 663 billion last year, adding that the elaborate program to open up more opportunities abroad was set to boost the figure to Sh1 Trillion.
Speaking during the Kisumu Job fair, the PS said the bilateral labour agreements being pursued by the government target to ensure that Kenyans moving to foreign countries are not mistreated. He added that the ministry was working with legitimate recruitment agencies to ensure that all Kenyans seeking jobs outside the country are protected.
Labour and Skills Development Principal Secretary (PS) Shadrack Mwadime during the job fair held at the National Industrial Training Authority campus in Kisumu county.
“We are not sending you abroad so that you relocate from the country. We want you to work there for three to five years and come back to invest in the country and help grow our economy,” he said. The State Department for Labour and Skills Development, he said has rolled out a national skills mapping exercise to help identify gaps in skills development to ensure that the country’s workforce has the requisite skills that meet industry needs.
This, he said was informed by feedback from local employers, adding that once the exercise is concluded, it will inform changes in the curriculum to ensure all learning institutions produce graduates ready for the labour market. Since the exercise started in February this year, so far 40,000 Kenyans seeking job opportunities have uploaded their skills on the National Employment Authority (NEA) website.
Even though the survey was hampered by lack of funds, the state department was seeking partnerships with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Ministry of Youths to conclude the exercise.
The two days Job Fair, which brought together youths, students, Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Universities and other learning institutions was critical to ensure that both job seekers and employers understand one another to help address unemployment in the country.
“There are a lot of opportunities out there and that is what we have come to appraise our young people about. The employers also have an opportunity to point out what they are looking for so that they get the right skills,” added the PS