The National Industrial Training Authority is among government agencies involved in implementing a multi-million World Bank funded youth empowerment programme set to change the fortunes of young Kenyans.

The Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project [KYEOP] is geared towards reversing the alarming levels of youth unemployment which poses a threat to the overall economic well-being of the country.

Youth unemployment in Kenya continues to be a challenge with over 800,000 youth entering the workforce every year in a context of persistently high youth unemployment rates. In urban areas the problem is unemployment, while in rural areas the problem is frequency in underemployment.

The project is divided into four key components namely, improving youth employability, job creation; Labour market Information Systems (LMIS), and strengthening Youth Policy Development and Project Management.

[slider_item title='Principal Secretary, State Department of Labour, Ministry of East African Affairs, Labour and Social Protection Dr. Khadijah Kassachoon gives her keynote address at the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project - KYEOP Sensitization of MasterCraftsmen held at the National Industrial Training Authority - NITA headquarters.' src='images/aboutus/KYEOP/KYEOP_1.jpg'] [/slider_item]NITA is charged with implementing the first component, improving youth employability. Other implementing agencies are the Ministry of Devolution and Planning and the Government technical design team, representing Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Protection, Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development and the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA).

Component one [I] which NITA will oversee its implementation, will address structural labour market problems in urban and rural areas involving the difficulties youths face in acquiring the skills and work experience sought by employers. The absence of both skills and work experience impede the entry of youths into productive employment. It will respond to Kenyan employers who assert that youth who come out of schools; tertiary educational facilities and training centres frequently lack the relevant work experience and competencies needed for employment.

The target group to receive services under this component will be “vulnerable youths” between 16-29 years of age with the education level of Standard 8 to Form Four. The component will offer these youths six months of training and work experience in either the formal and informal sectors. The training offered will be guided by employers in consultation with NITA. By the end of the four years that the project is envisaged to run, the Authority is expected to have reached 80,000 beneficiaries. The NITA programme component will be implemented in all the 47 counties over the next four years.

Component I will have four sub-components as follows;

1. Training and Internships in the formal sector;
2. Training and Internships in the informal sector;
3. Improving the quality and efficiency in traditional apprenticeships;
4. Enhancing NITA’s implementation capacity;