Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, Shadrack Mwadime, has called on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to adopt a dual training system that combines classroom learning with practical workplace experience.
He said this approach would better prepare young people with the skills employers demand.
Speaking at the Youth Skills Forum held at Mövenpick Hotel & Residences in Nairobi on Thursday, Mwadime highlighted two persistent challenges in Kenya’s labour market: skills mismatch and limited access to capital, despite the country producing a high number of graduates every year.
“Two factors facing the Kenyan job market as challenges are skills and capital,” he said. He noted that the government is committed to reforms that align education and training with the needs of the labour market.
The Principal Secretary urged TVET institutions to implement a dual training model that allows students to gain firsthand exposure to industry practices.
He explained that many graduates spend years in academic programs without acquiring sufficient practical knowledge.
“With Kenya producing more than two million graduates from universities and tertiary colleges, the economy can allow the government to absorb only 200,000 while the private sector absorbs 100,000, leaving about 700,000 jobless,” he said.
Mwadime added that while previous governments invested heavily in skills development, employers still report a gap between the skills graduates have and what the job market requires.
“We believe as an administration, there are two factors that if we were to put a lot of emphasis on, we will transform our economy,” he said. “Improving skills relevance and increasing access to capital could significantly improve employment outcomes.”
Also addressing the forum, Sharon Mosin, Country Director of Swisscontact, said the discussions were timely, as employment has become a central concern for Kenya.
“Our education system and training systems have expanded access significantly, but expansion has not always translated into relevance,” Mosin said. She added that employers frequently struggle to find candidates who are ready for the job, while many graduates continue to face challenges in securing employment.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the country’s overall unemployment rate stood at about 5.43 percent in 2024, slightly down from 5.71 percent in 2022. Youth unemployment, particularly among those aged 20–24, remains high, with rates around 15.6 to 16.8 percent in 2024, showing only a slight decline from previous years.
The informal sector continues to dominate the job market, accounting for 83.6 percent of employment, while formal employment increased modestly to 16.4 percent from 15.9 percent two years earlier.
Formal sector employment grew by 2.4 percent in 2024, reflecting some expansion in the private sector, but youth underemployment remains a concern at 35.9 percent, indicating that many young workers still occupy low-income or part-time positions.
The forum was attended by Mirko Giulietti, Ambassador of the Embassy of Switzerland to Kenya, Eritrea, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda, alongside education and labour stakeholders who explored strategies to strengthen youth employability and close the skills gap.
