At least 3,150 youth are set to benefit from the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project in Kisii County.
The project, a landmark initiative by the government in partnership with the World Bank, is valued at Sh 5 billion and aimed at transforming the lives of vulnerable youth.
The five-year initiative seeks to create employment opportunities, enhance income generation, and promote savings among the youth ages 18 and 29 years who dropped out of school and are unemployed.
Speaking to the press after leading a grassroots leaders’ sensitisation forum on the project at the Kisii National Polytechnic in Kisii town, State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary (PS) Stephen Isaboke said the initiative will provide the youth with basic skills training, recognition of prior learning and entrepreneurship skills.
“Some of the youths have learnt different arts and crafts but do not have certificates, and so this project brings that recognition into account, and the craft is formalised,” he noted.
Isaboke added the eligible young people will be screened during the process, and each of them will receive Sh50,000 to initiate or expand a business.
The PS underscored the importance of the youth in the society, saying that youth unemployment is a growing concern due to the significant number of the country’s young population accessing the job market.
Statistics from the International Labour Organization (ILO) show that Kenya’s youth unemployment rate is 67 per cent, with over one million young people entering the job market annually without skills.
“Out of the one million, the government engages about 200,000 youth only in job placements, leaving another 800,000 youth every year without employment or engagement,” Isaboke noted.
Therefore, he encouraged the youth to enrol for the NYOTA project, adding that it will expand their employment opportunities and enable them to join other Kenyans in undertaking productive economic activities.
In addition, the PS lauded President William Ruto for initiating the project, saying that NYOTA is a flagship job creation initiative that demonstrates the government’s commitment and goodwill in addressing youth unemployment through practical, inclusive, and results-oriented interventions.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati noted the project will provide the youth with an opportunity to secure start-up capital, get employed or seek gainful skills that can help them to seek the right employment.
In a speech read on his behalf by Kisii Deputy Governor Elijah Obebo, Arati pledged to support the initiative, adding that it will not only recognise the active role of the young people in the society but also make their voices heard.
“We are happy that we get 3150 youths who will be supported to start their businesses with a start-up capital of Sh50,000 in Kisii,” he said.
The forum was attended by the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs), political leaders and officials from the county and national governments, among others.
The NYOTA project seeks to benefit about 820,000 vulnerable young people across the country, targeting all the 1,450 wards.
At least 90,000 youth will gain on-the-job experience by being placed with employers and artisans to gain work experience, while 20,000 youth will receive recognition for prior learning.
Another 100,000 youth (70 per ward) will receive Sh50,000 start-up capital plus training, and 600,000 will be trained on how to access government tenders.
Notably, young persons with disabilities up to the age of 35 years are eligible to apply for the project, and 50 per cent of women are being targeted.
Youths can apply digitally by dialling the USSD *254# on a smartphone or feature phone.
By Mercy Osongo and Jane Naitore
