Skills 4 Jobs & Livelihoods
Overview
The African Centre for Women, Information, and Communications Technology (ACWICT), in partnership with Microsoft and the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Enterprise Development (MOITED), launched the Emerging Markets Skills Initiative (EMI). This transformative program was designed to accelerate skilling and ensure an inclusive economic recovery post-COVID-19 and beyond.
With an unemployment rate exceeding 39% among the 13.4 million Kenyan youth aged 18-34 years, EMI was specifically created to address the significant skills mismatch between the available workforce and the demands of the labor market. By equipping underserved youth, particularly young women, with market-driven digital, soft, and entrepreneurship skills, the program aimed to enhance employability and enable participants to thrive in the digital economy.
Program Focus Areas:
Skills Mismatch Between Youth and the Labor Market
The EMI program addressed the skills gap by providing demand-driven technical and digital skills, coupled with essential soft skills, both in and out of school. This approach helped align youth capabilities with labor market needs, opening up opportunities in both traditional and non-traditional jobs, such as online work, freelancing, and business solutions.
Unclear Career Pathways and Access to Employment Services
EMI also tackled the lack of clear career pathways by introducing a mentorship program that connected youth with professionals in the digital sector. This initiative, alongside partnerships with job matching platforms, provided young people with the guidance and resources needed to navigate their careers and access employment opportunities more effectively.
Program Impact
Over its three-year lifespan, the EMI empowered over 300,000 thousand youth, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the evolving digital landscape. The initiative successfully bridged the gap between education and employment, significantly improving the employment outcomes for Kenyan youth.
Achievements
This three-year initiative, supported by Microsoft, reached and impacted over 300,000 underserved out-of-school youth in Kenya between 2021 and 2023.
Impact
The Emerging Skills Initiative has made significant strides in enhancing the employability of youth in Kenya:
300,000 +
Total Beneficiaries Reached: over 300,000 youth trained
3,887 +
trainers equipped to cascade the training to target participants
2,000 +
2,000 youths were successfully placed into employment by the end of 2022.
50%
50% of the beneficiaries were young women, addressing the underrepresentation of women in the digital economy.
Program Outcomes
The program’s approach to skilling used a blended method, combining online and offline training, with platforms like Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Community Training (MCT) being central to delivering content. The initiative also focused on specific groups such as small-scale farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), helping them leverage digital skills to improve their practices and profitability.
Sustainability and Partnerships
To ensure long-term sustainability, the project expanded its partnerships, incorporating government bodies, county governments, private sector players, and higher learning institutions. These collaborations aimed to co-create digital skills curricula, deliver training strategies, and access critical infrastructure for sustained impact.
