Unemployment is the single most serious problem facing the Kenyan youth today, with many struggling to find jobs and earn decent incomes. The few who are lucky to be earning any incomes also tend to be in low-paying informal sector jobs whose proceeds barely meet their basic needs. This sad state of affairs not only adversely impacts the affected youth, who can suffer the repercussions of youth unemployment for the remainder of their lifetimes, but also the entire country that fails to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend and losing its youth to terrorism, crime, drugs, prostitution, and other ills.
The proliferation of technology and the revolution it has sparked in nearly all facets of the economy has seen it rightly touted as a near-panacea for youth unemployment. Indeed, the government has latched onto technology’s endless potential to create employment by starting projects and initiatives that harness its power. These include the Ajira Digital programme, in which the government has built technology hubs across the country and given youth digital skills training, with ore to come.
While these efforts are commendable, there is still a long way to go for Kenyan youth to fully reap the benefits of technology. The recent upsurge in the innovation and deployment of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, the Internet of Things, and Machine Learning are timely reminders of the incredible fluidity of the technology landscape and the need for more to be done to harness technology to curb youth unemployment. While platforms such as Ajira Digital allow the youth to master basic computer and digital literacy skills, these skills are nowhere near enough. In a world where Artificial Intelligence is increasingly taking over jobs that traditionally employed many techies and further diminishing crowd-sourced and micro digital jobs, there is need for a strategy rethink.
Already, technology has shown incredible potential for creating employment and growing the economy. Agriculture and entrepreneurship are two sectors that have greatly benefited to create a ripple across the entire economy. Today, agricultural technologies are helping farmers to swiftly, reliably, and cheaply get all the information they need; plan their farming activities; find local and global markets for their produce; and receive timely payments upon the delivery of farm products.
On the other hand, e-commerce platforms are enabling many youth to launch their own entrepreneurial ventures and access markets that were hitherto virtually unreachable for most of them. The mushrooming of financial technologies (fintech) that ease access to credit and payments has made it even better. These represent just a few areas where the government can further leverage technology to create more employment opportunities.
Beyond the obvious, technology also offers youth opportunities to tackle often-neglected socioeconomic problems and the biggest existential challenges facing the world today. First, technology has the potential to expedite the inclusion of disadvantaged and marginalised groups and communities into the development processes and workforce, such as those with disabilities.
Second, the increasing demand for accessible software, websites and other information and communication technologies not only facilitates access to education, healthcare, and meaningful participation in the economy but also presents employment opportunities for youth with requisite skills to develop these technologies. Thirdly, technology offers an opportunity for young people to explore and engage in green jobs to combat the twin threats of climate change and global warming. According to the United Nations, technology can facilitate a shift to a greener economy which can, in turn, generate 15 to 60 million additional jobs globally over the next two decades and lift millions more out of poverty. The promotion and deployment of tech skills in the green and smart economy have the potential to pay the double dividends of encouraging job creation and accelerating transition to green growth, thereby promoting environmental sustainability and economic progress. Sectors such as agriculture, construction, transport and logistics, and renewable energy stand to benefit from such ventures, further employing the youth.
In all, technology stands to offer numerous employment opportunities for the youth. The government can thus leverage technology to curb youth unemployment and help the country reap from its demographic dividend. To realise this, the government must invest heavily in improving information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and establish initiatives that harness the power of digital technologies to create employment opportunities. At the same time, fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Machine Learning, which are underdeveloped, require government support for growth. To achieve all these and ensure youth can readily benefit from technology in the long term, the government must establish, expand, and adequately resource tech and entrepreneurship incubators and accelerators labs across the country. These will provide connectivity, support structures, mentorship and collaboration.
The government also can enter into public-private partnerships to enhance innovation and tech uptake; and open various sectors of the economy to tech. Going forward, it’s necessary to integrate technology throughout the academic curricula and make it part of every discipline instead of restricting it to computer sciences. This way, the youth will not only benefit from employment opportunities created by technology but also develop web, mobile phone, and computer applications, games, and other nascent technologies driving change in the technology landscape.
Advocate for youth and good governance