Kenya Youth Empowerment Project 2011
- Click to view -KYEP portal link
- Click to view - list of 753 interns graduating from kepsa-kyep cycle 1 background/objectives of the kenya youth empowerment project (KYEP):
The objective of the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project (KYEP) will be to support the Government of Kenya’s efforts to: (i) expand youth employment and increase their incomes; (ii) pilot approaches to increase youth employability and earning potential through training and work internships in the private sector; and (iii) strengthen the institutional and policy-making capacity of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYAS). This will be implemented through three components:
- Labor Intensive Works and Social Services;
- Private Sector Internships and Training; and
- Capacity Building and Policy Development.
The first component of the KYEP has as its main objective to support the Government of Kenya to reduce the vulnerability of unemployed young women and men by expanding and enhancing the effectiveness of the Kazi Kwa Vijana (KKV) program.
The second component is a pilot that addresses issues of lack of skills and work experience for disadvantaged young women and men. It will provide selected youth (who are out-of-school for at least a year and are not working) with an opportunity to acquire relevant work experience and skills, through a private sector internship and training program. It will support three activities: (i) creation of internships in the private sector; (ii) provision of training relevant to their work experience; and (iii) monitoring and evaluation to capture lessons from the pilot.
The third component will provide support to the MoYAS, mainly focusing on training of district youth officers.
The overall objective of the Component will be to ensure that at least 50% of the interns have found work or started their own business within 6 months of the end of the internship.
Selection of KEPSA as the Coordinating Body:
KEPSA has been identified by the World Bank as being the preferred coordinating body because:
KEPSA has the cross-sectoral reach required for the Project, as the KYE Project will focus on the growth sectors identified in Vision 2030, namely Energy; Finance; ICT; Tourism; Manufacturing plus Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs)
The Youth Sector Board within KEPSA becomes the overarching sector in terms of this project, and will play an advisory role
The structure of KEPSA, with its Sector Boards, means that the KEPSA can coordinate the activities of the various sectors as they develop their training plans; identify internship opportunities, and oversee the implementation of the project
The Project provides an opportunity to be involved in a public-private partnership that is directly linked to the mandate of the private sector, and the economic growth of the country, and youth in particular
KEPSA will establish a KYEP Department within the Secretariat to manage the project, comprising a Project Director; Project Accountant; Procurement Officer; M&E Officer; Training Officer; Internship Officer; Internal Audit Officer, and an Accounts Administrative Assistant.
Implementation:
The KYEP will last for a four-year period, from July 2010 to December 2014, with approximately 11,000 youth benefiting from the internship program over this period. The first cycle will take place in Nairobi; with Mombasa and a rural location added in year two. All the youth will commence with a two-week life-skills module, before embarking on an internship in a sector of their choice, aligned with their aptitudes.
The criteria for selection will be:
- Aged between 15 and 29 years of age;
- A minimum of 8 years of schooling; and
- Have been out of the school/work environment for at least one year
50% of the 4 – 6 month internship will be spent in the workplace, with the remaining time being made up of training with a third party training provider. The youth will receive a stipend of KSh 6,000 per month; and the employers will receive a monthly reimbursement of KSh 3,000 for each intern they take. Employers will be expected to provide regular feedback and guidance to the interns during this period, and a completion certificate at the end.
16,000 youth will benefit from the Life-skills Training: with two thirds of them progressing to the full internship after a competitive process whereby they will be interviewed by prospective employers.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
A Management Information System will be developed to monitor the pilot project. A full Impact Evaluation will take place in cycle 2 of the KYEP; but an assessment of satisfaction levels from both interns and employers will be conducted in the meantime.
Data will be collated on attendance; number of internship days etc throughout the project.
