Securing Inclusive Growth: Mentorship and Youth Employment in Kenya

Abstract

The guiding framework for policymaking in Kenya embodies both a national and international outlook. On the one hand is the Kenya Vision 2030 while on the other are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Coincidentally, both frameworks emphasise social inclusion, or what is commonly known as inclusive growth. While day-to-day policies must be located within Vision 2030, the Government of Kenya (GoK) has also launched a roadmap for the implementation of the SDGs and acknowledges that inclusive access to employment is a critical solution for eradicating poverty. Youth unemployment in Kenya is the highest in the region, posing a significant policy issue. The GoK has implemented several programmes to deal with youth unemployment but with dismal results. Addressing youth unemployment is a big step towards achieving SDG 8 and has significant implications for SDG 1. The main argument in this chapter is that government interventions for youth employment are mainly supply driven and take no cognisance of the contextual realities of the youth. In this chapter, we propose an integrated supply and demand framework for addressing employment interventions. Such a framework would integrate academic programmes with skills that empower the youth beyond the realm of academic qualifications.