Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs has urged the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) to help youth redefine ‘employment’.
Speaking Thursday during IHRM Council Handover, the Ministry’s Principal Administrative Secretary Mary Kimonye said that youth should be helped to understand that being employed does not mean being on a payroll.
The PS advised the institution to professionalize informal jobs such as ‘jua kali’ industry, domestic workers and the music industry among others and to recognize youths in those sectors.
“We should focus on new ways of tapping youth talents and how to manage them,” she advised.
Kimonye added that in the 2019/2020 financial year budget, the government allocated funds for internship programs for graduates so that they could gain experience from various government and private institutions to counter for work experience asked by employers and through the program, they would identity youths with passion in the public service and management sectors.
“Youth should not see employment as being on payroll and working from 8 to 5, but should focus on exploiting their talents,” Kimonye reiterated.
Kimonye advised the institute to join hands with the government and other stakeholders to help strengthen human resource sector.
“We should be ready to work with the disruptive modern work force which has their own way and thoughts of how HR should be managed and we would like to know the strategies that IHRM has put down to overcome challenges,” she noted.
“As a Ministry, we call upon the institution to work more deliberately and actively with the government and the private sector to stir up this sector,” Kimonye added.
IHRM incoming Council Chairman Joseph Onyango said that as a council, they were ready to help the youth move away from what they traditionally define as ‘work’ by opening up more Technical and Vocational and Training (TVETs) and providing early guidance to help youths realize their career path.
“Youth should move from the perception of white collar jobs and focus on competence and talents that they have,” Onyango said.
Onyango further explained that what is important is what one can do and not degrees or certificates that one has and that output at work place should be measured in terms of results.
Meanwhile, Onyango pledged that the new council would use its professionals in both public and private organizations to fight corruption in the country and would intensify compliance in the HR sector by publishing the list of competent HR professionals in Kenya by November 2019.
The council also has an agreement with the State Department of Immigration to deny work permits to foreigners who do not meet the required criteria.
“We are ready to work with the government and private sector to stir up human resource sector in the country,” Onyango confirmed.
IHRM is a state agency established under the Human Resource Management Professionals (HRMP) Act No.52 of 2012 mandated to regulate the HR Profession in Kenya, enhance competencies and capabilities while supporting innovative and transformational HR practices and standards.
By Nancy Marende/Dourice Abuto/ Joseph Ng’ang’a
