NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 11 – Lack of employment among young Africans has remained a hindrance to the continent’s development, with data from the World Africa Review showing the continent leads in global unemployment rates.
It is on this backdrop that stakeholders drawn from the job market and education sector met in a workshop organized by the Corporate Career Academy (CCA) in Nairobi to discuss strategies for closing youth skills gaps in East Africa.
According to CCA Executive Director Philip Pande, there is an urgent need for stakeholders in the job market and educational sector to adopt strategies to make young people fit for the work environment.
“This summit is a ground-breaking platform converging diverse stakeholders to rethink the future of the EAC region in the heat of the unemployment crisis compounded by the youth bulge and employability skills disparities,” said Pande.
He noted that the challenge of unemployment came with a myriad of adverse effects, including increased mental health issues, crime rates, and economic challenges like inflation.
Daystar University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Professor Faith Nguru added that the partnership would ensure that graduates were industry-ready.
“Today marks the beginning of a promising partnership geared towards equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and values necessary to excel in their careers and make meaningful contributions to society, “she said.
A report released by CCA derived from the inaugural East African Employability Summit (EAES23) held last year highlighted key solutions to the skills gap that included:
1. Fostering inclusive education and training with peculiar attention to the shift of trajectory towards TVET education and skills-based formation to guarantee employability.
2. Developing agile policy and governance in the era of uncertainty. The government should create an enabling environment with soft legislation that does not discourage innovation.
3. Revamping linkages between learning and industry by working with partners to solve the biggest challenge in Africa—unemployment.
4. Establishing, equipping, and running maker spaces and on-campus innovation hubs to catalyze co-creation, entrepreneurship, and start-up culture to spur self-employment.
5. Embracing artificial intelligence in learning and industry training and collaboration to harness the significant opportunities in the gig economy.
The second edition of the EAES24 will take place at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), Karen Nairobi, from October 22-24.
