​Job Entry-Level Skills: Seizing the Moment, Securing the Future | The Youth Cafe

​Job Entry-Level Skills: Seizing the Moment, Securing the Future | The Youth Cafe

By Alex O. Awiti, Caleb Orwa, Lucy Mbuvi & Mercy Karumba

The aim of this study was to generate evidence to support reliable assessment of the skills and competences possessed by youth in entry-level jobs (the supply), and the skills and competences needed by employers (the demand).​

The study was conducted in 24 counties, which are home to over 85% of Kenya’s formal sector business establishments . Fifteen sectors, comprising agriculture, wholesale & retail, construction, health and ICT, which account for 90% of jobs in both formal and informal sector, were included in the survey. A total of 9,355 interviews were conducted; 6,362 employed youth and 693 self-employed youth aged between 18 and 30 years both in the formal and informal sector, and 2,300 employers from formal and informal sectors.

The study revealed that Kenya’s labour markets are shaped by the dominance of sectors such as wholesale and retail, food and accommodation services and transport, which account for most jobs created in the economy. Consequently, it appears that there is less demand for hard, technical skills compared to skills such as marketing and sales and entrepreneurship.