Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Kazi ni kazi

AMI, Mastercard Foundation to train youth for job readiness

ID:26892833

The African Management Initiative (AMI) has partnered with The MasterCard Foundation to develop a scalable model for training and placing underprivileged youth into entry-level positions in organisations across Kenya.

The initiative, dubbed Youth Employment Accelerator (YEA), will offer a free 6-week learning and skills development programme for 300 unemployed youth aged 18-24 from low-income communities around Nairobi.

The top 200 candidates will then be offered placements with some of Kenya’s fast-growing companies in the Financial, Solar and BPO sectors. The focus is on entry-level jobs in sales and customer service in call centres, which have struggled in the past with finding and retaining well-prepared candidates.

Registration for the programme is open until September 8th, followed by a rigorous application and selection process to get 300 of the best and most committed youths into the programme. The 6-week programme runs from October 3-November 11, with graduates ready for placement from mid-November onward.

“HR Managers are increasingly recruiting employees based on their workplace readiness skills over their technical skills. We are excited to be part of the skills training solution that will enable unemployed youth from underprivileged backgrounds build employable skills,” said Rebecca Harrison CEO of AMI.

According to a 2016 AMI Report on the state of talent in the workplace, both public and private sector HR professionals ranked workplace-readiness and people management skills as more important than technical and functional skills.

The YEA programme, focusing on key workplace-readiness skills for entry-level roles, will use AMI’s unique blended-learning approach to maximize learning on the programme, combining workshops, online courses, team assignments and community projects.

To ensure that new hires can effectively adapt to the workplace and learn to thrive in their role, AMI will offer post-placement support in the form of coaching, additional training and peer support. Part of this is a short course that has been developed for front-line managers on how to manage these new recruits. This course will be offered to partner companies who hire YEA graduates and can be enhanced with other management courses offered by AMI.

“At AMI we have created a scalable model to develop a generation of youth who were previously unemployed, whether that was due to inappropriate skills or finances. We are delighted to be partnering with The MasterCard Foundation to provide youth with the right skills and attitude for the job market, as well as realjob opportunitiesto get their careers started,” added Rebecca.

Applications should be made at yea.africanmanagers.org/

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Some More Sauce...

Entertainment

Netflix is spotlighting Kenyan storytelling like never before with its brand-new original film, Inside Job, which premiered globally on June 14, 2025. Directed by...

Entertainment

Kenyan actor and content creator Martin Githinji, popularly known as Daddie Marto, has broken his silence following explosive allegations made by his wife, Christine...

Entertainment

Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride of drama, danger, and family legacy with Reckless, the latest Kenyan drama series set to premiere exclusively on...

Entertainment

Usain Bolt has been named a Guinness World Records ICON. The world’s fastest man – who set the 100m 9.58 seconds record, as well...

Entertainment

R. Kelly was rushed to hospital after he suffered a near-fatal overdose in prison. According to a new filing by his attorney, Beau Brindley,...

News

Westlife are planning a new album and some “special shows” to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The Flying Without Wings boy band – made up...

Entertainment

Simone Ashley’s role was cut from F1 because there was too much footage. The Bridgerton actress was cast in the Formula One racing drama...

Entertainment

Eric Dane has lost the function of his right arm. The 52-year-old actor announced in April that he is battling incurable degenerative condition ALS...