President William Ruto has said expanding internship opportunities is one of the government's biggest steps towards tackling youth unemployment, arguing that practical workplace experience has become just as important as academic qualifications in preparing young people for the job market.
Speaking on Friday during the launch of the NextGen KE Youth Employment Programme at State House, Nairobi, the President said internships give young people the skills, discipline and confidence employers are looking for, making them an important bridge between education and long-term employment.
He said the government was committed to increasing internship opportunities across different sectors to ensure more young Kenyans gain hands-on experience before joining the workforce.
"Every civilisation has passed on its knowledge the same way, one generation teaching the next. Before anyone becomes a master of a craft or profession, they must first become an apprentice. That is how skills are passed on. That is how professions are built, and that is how nations are built."
Ruto described internships as more than short-term placements, saying they help young people move from the classroom into meaningful employment.
"The bridge between learning and earning, between potential and performance, and between ambition and achievement."
He said the government had deliberately placed young people at the centre of its economic plans by creating opportunities that allow them to build workplace skills alongside their academic qualifications.
"For generations, education has been the greatest equaliser, but today, a certificate or a degree alone is no longer enough. Employers are looking for practical experience, workplace discipline, problem-solving ability and industry-ready skills."
The President noted that many graduates continue to struggle to secure jobs because they leave school without practical workplace experience despite holding academic qualifications.
"When talent cannot find opportunity, dreams are delayed. Business struggles to find skilled workers, and our country loses productive potential that can never be recovered."
Ruto said internships had already proved successful in preparing professionals across various sectors.
He cited the recruitment of 100,000 teachers, saying they first served as interns before being employed on permanent and pensionable terms. He also pointed to 5,600 graduates currently undertaking internships under the Affordable Housing Programme after completing university, college and technical training.
"We have built and continue to build a bigger pool of skilled professionals by bridging the gap between the classroom and the workplace by creating internship in between."
The President added that the government was also recognising skills gained outside formal education through the Recognition of Prior Learning programme, enabling artisans to receive certification and compete for jobs and contracts in the formal sector.
He said Kenya had also expanded digital skills training to position the country as a growing destination for business process outsourcing while opening up more digital employment opportunities for young people.
Turning to the newly launched NextGen KE Youth Employment Programme, Ruto said the initiative would begin by supporting 30,000 young people before being expanded through partnerships with the private sector.
"This programme is initially targeting 30,000 young people, the government of Kenya will be willing to scale up our partnership so that we can take this programme to 100,000 young people."
He said the government had committed Sh2 billion to the programme after employers repeatedly pointed to a lack of workplace experience among graduates seeking jobs.
"We have, on one hand, young people who are ready. We have, on the other side, a market that is looking for skilled workers and job experience, workplace experience, is standing in between. I think today we come into that space where we create the bridge."
The President called on private sector employers to offer internship opportunities, saying the programme would help businesses build a stronger talent pool while giving young Kenyans the experience they need to secure permanent employment and contribute to the country's economic growth.