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Kenya

Strategies for youth employment

Strategies for youth employment
Yes

Youth employment strategy planned in the next 2 years

Discussions within the government
Yes
Consultations with national-level stakeholders (e.g. employers’ and workers’ associations, youth councils, etc.)
Yes
A draft strategy already exists
No
Other (please specify)
Yes

Countries with national action plans for youth employment

Monitoring framework (timeline and activity/outcome indicators, e.g. youth labour market indicators)
Yes
Funding (indicative budget to implement the plan)
No
Institutional responsibilities (e.g. ministries/agencies in charge of specific planned activities )
Yes
Other, specify
No

Public funding for the national youth employment strategy

Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
Yes

Additional information:
Ministry of Labour and Social Protection

Youth in the national development / employment strategy

Youth in the national development / employment strategy
Yes

Additional information:
Youth are explicitly included as a target group in national policy documents and strategies in Kenya: • Kenya Vision 2030 and its Medium-Term Plans identify youth employment and empowerment as central to the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda. • The Government’s Kenya Kwanza Manifesto and its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) prioritize job creation for youth, particularly through support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), digital economy initiatives, and the creative sector. • The National Employment Policy and Strategy outlines concrete measures to promote youth employment, including skills development, entrepreneurship support, and improved school-to-work transitions.

Countries with national goals for youth employment

Countries with national goals for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
Kenya has set national goals and objectives that directly or indirectly promote youth employment: • The government is increasing allocations to affirmative action funds, such as the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, to enhance youth access to credit and resources. This is aimed at supporting youth-led enterprise development and self-employment. • Kenya has set a national goal to create 1.2 million jobs annually. While this target is not exclusive to youth, it is highly relevant given that approximately 1 million young people enter the labour market each year, and youth represent over 35% of the population. As such, youth are expected to be the primary beneficiaries of national job creation efforts.

Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment

Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
No

Policy areas in national youth employment strategies

Macroeconomic and Sectoral policies
Yes
Enterprise Development
Yes
Education, Training and skills development
Yes
Labour Demand
Yes
Labour Law and Legislation
Yes
Labour Market Policies
Yes
Other (please specify)
No

Social partners' inclusion in the youth employment strategy

Workers
Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Employers
Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)

Youth-led organizatios' inclusion in the national strategy

Fully involved
No
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Yes
Consulted
Yes
Informed
No
Not involved
No

Countries with national partnerships for youth employment

Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
Partnerships with international development agencies, representatives of employers and workers such as the federation of Kenya employers and Central Organization of Trade Unions.

Inclusiveness of vulnerable groups in national strategies

Women
Yes
Migrant Workers
Yes
NEETs
Yes
People with disabilities
Yes
Low skilled workers
Yes
Rural workers
Yes
Other (please specify)
No

Youth employment strategies and international cooperation

Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
Yes

Additional information:
ILO. Provides both technical and financial resources. The ILO has supported various programs in the areas of employment and labour, labour mobility, education and training, skills development, labour market interventions, and capacity building of institutions. World Bank. The world bank has provided technical and financial resources towards promoting youth employment, earnings and savings through the Kenya Youth Employment Opportunities Programme now known as National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement.