Government has tasked National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) across the country as part of the team to spearhead a nationwide mobilization campaign aimed at encouraging youth to sign up for National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) program.
NYOTA is a five-year Government of Kenya and World Bank initiative on improving youth employability by creating employment opportunities through programs like apprenticeships, fostering entrepreneurship, social enterprises and expanding financial security. It has been touted as the largest job creation pipeline targeting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and vulnerable youths at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
Speaking in Nyeri National Polytechnic on Monday during the launch of the grassroots leaders’ sensitization program on NYOTA program, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira emphasized the crucial role of NGAOs in ensuring that the information about the program reaches the youth at the community level. He noted that their presence at the grassroots levels makes them ideal agents for mobilization and civil education.
“The advantage of using NGAO is that they are non-partisan as they serve everyone. This is a national government project which is meant to ensure that everybody gets equal access and that is why it is very important to bring them on board,” stated Wachira.
Nationally, the program is targeting 820,000 vulnerable and unemployed youth from 1450 wards. Eligible applicants should be aged between 18-29 years but for People with Disability the age limit has been set at 35.Interested applicants have been urged to enlist by dialing *254# on their mobile phone and follow the prompts.
The program is structured on three main pillars the first one being On-the Job Experience where 90,000 youths will be placed with employers and artisans to gain work experience. The second component of the program which is dubbed Recognition of Prior Learning will allow youth to receive formal acknowledgement for the skills and work experience they already acquired through informal training.
Under the third component of Business support, the government is targeting to extend start-up capital of up to Sh50,000 to 100,000 to start up a business. Similarly, under this component, some 600,000 will be trained on how to secure government tenders.
Since its launch mid this year, a total of 15,944 youth in Nyeri have applied to receive Business Support under NYOTA, while 1600 applied to be considered for the On-the Job Experience and 459 youth applied for the Recognition of Prior Learning under NYOTA.
While acknowledging that the number of applicants in the county are still low, Wachira said that the government is banking on the County Commissioners and their assistants as well as chiefs and assistant chiefs to work closely with NYOTA implementing agencies to organize sensitization forums at the ward level.
He said that the government’s campaign will not only raise awareness among the targeted youth but will also encourage the youth to apply in order to benefit from the program.
“For this program, the county is not doing well. We are at position 35 or 36 and we must ensure that this program is taken up by our youth since this is part of the government’s broader strategy to address unemployment and promote sustainable livelihoods among young people. Because yes, we have a challenge and we can sit back and complain or we can choose to take a bold step like the one the head of state has taken and get our youth to take up this program,” he said.
Also present during the launch were Gender and Affirmative Action Principal Secretary, Anne Wang’ombe, Central Region Commissioner, Joshua Nkanatha, Nyeri County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi, Nyeri Town legislator Duncan Mathenge, Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga and host of Members of County Assembly.
On her part, PS Wang’ombe noted that the program will help in tackling issues of drug abuse, Gender Based Violence and suicide cases which often stem from idleness among the youth.
By Wangari Mwangi and Diana Odipo
