As Kenyans continue to struggle with tough economic times due to serious unemployment crises, urgent measures are required to curb this demographic disaster.
The unemployment problem is global and presents a particularly difficult labour market experience for the youth.
The youth constitute the biggest percentage of the Kenyan population and are experiencing high unemployment rates.
When unemployment rates are high and steady, there are negative impacts on long-term economic growth.
Policymakers and economic planners tend to overlook this problem as they do not provide solutions to it.
Unemployment does not only deny youths a very basic human right but also robs them of a chance to utilise the energy and knowledge acquired after spending years in education.
The world’s biggest strength lies in the youth. If the energy is not properly channelled into activities that can help in growing the economy, the same energy can go to waste or be used in activities that hurt the economy.
Experts justify that women, children and the youth are vulnerable to the vicious cycle of poverty that has defined national development plans and worsened the unemployment crisis.
Unemployment among the youth not only contributes to economic deprivation but also induces social ills such as crime and insecurity.
It also wastes resources, increases poverty, limits labour mobility, and promotes social unrest and conflict.
Every year, thousands of young people transition from one level of learning to another in the hope of landing jobs, which, sadly, do not exist.
The number of unemployed university and college students is alarming. After spending many years in education, the youth are not guaranteed employment.
Many have had to look for alternative ways to earn a living, including venturing into business activities such as hawking.
This is not to suggest that the jobs mentioned above should only be done by the uneducated. They are, however, not what graduates hope to engage in after working hard in school.
It makes them feel unappreciated as the activities do not need any formal academic qualifications though they can help them earn a living.
Therefore, structured programmes such as youth empowerment and financial inclusion should be initiated.
More research and emphasis should be put on the implementation of a more competency-based practical curriculum.
Deliberate efforts should also be made to leverage agriculture and industrialisation.
Many youths might be very willing to venture into farming and industrialisation but without government support, it is in vain.
Agriculture and industrialisation hold the key to unlocking the youth unemployment crisis.
Matters have been worsened by the freeze on unemployment in the civil service at a time when many officers are leaving their positions after attaining the retirement age.
For the sake of continuity of public service, which performs a vital role in the execution of social and economic policies that foster national development goals, the government must ensure the many young qualified Kenyans without jobs replace exiting officers.
Youths are the future of a country and if we don’t allow them to grow their skills, then we have no future.
With the current Covid pandemic, people aged 55 years and above are required to work from home, this clearly indicates that we need to have more youths working in all sectors of the economy.
The future lies with the youth, and the government should support them in their dreams.
The state needs to focus on attracting them to economic activities that do not require huge capital investment like farming that has the potential to generate the growth of agribusiness and create jobs.
Talents and special abilities should be nurtured because they also create jobs for thousands of youths. Nurturing talented youths allows them to earn a living through their creativity.
The government should raise technology awareness among farmers to allow them to promote their agricultural products and create a wide market through the Internet and social media.
The youth can also be motivated and funded through the establishment of cottage industries for local products that will significantly help in the alleviation of the unemployment crisis.
Agriculture and industrialisation are the best bet to lift youths out of poverty. The government should empower them to stop the ticking unemployment time bomb from exploding as the youth symbolise high energy, positivity and spirit to make things happen.
The writer is a student at Maasai Mara University
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
