• The informal sector is rapidly expanding and is dynamic, able to contain a multifaceted skill combination so longs as the graduate is creative.
Labour Cabinet secretary Ukur Yatani has advised jobless graduates in the country to turn their job search focus a way from formal sectors .
The CS argues that the informal sector in the country is rapidly expanding and is dynamic, able to contain a multifaceted skill combination so longs as the graduate is creative.
Unemployment is a major headache in the country even as universities, on one hand, continue to churn out tens of thousands of graduates every year, while the job market continues to shrink. The universities and the country's training model, argued to be largely theoretical, have been blamed for inadequate training, producing graduates said not to have relevant skills that match the market demand.
Yatani challenged graduates hunting for jobs to embrace creativity, launch into the informal economy and pursue their dreams.
The informal sector, popularly known as the Jua Kali sector in the country include small-scale enterprises that are semi-organised, unregulated and use low and simple technologies, according to the Economic Survey 2012.
The minister spoke yesterday while commissioning a team of research assistants and data collectors who are to conduct a 40-day survey in the informal sector to profile the skills and occupations prevalent in the sector and opportunities available for the youth.
"The youths have better earning and opportunities for growth in the informal sector than concentrating on the white collar job pursuit, in an ever-shrinking economy," he said.
"They will also have the chance to master their own destiny," Yatani said, adding that "the growth in the sector is faster and the ripple effect of this surpasses the growth in the formal sector."
The CS said the survey, which is funded by the World Bank to the tune of Sh58 million, will help his ministry to have a clear picture of the skills and opportunity spread in the sector to enable it advise various government agencies dealing with employment, business registration, and incentives.
"We do not have up to date data on the informal sector yet it is the leading employer in our country. This survey will enable us to consolidate the data for proper action by government agencies, including treasury," he said.
The survey, which the ministry is conducting together with Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, is part of the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP).