The National Youth Service (NYS) will act as an employment reference bureau for kenyan youths seeking jobs abroad.
Speaking during this year’s World Population Day at Kajiado, Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru revealed that her ministry has established the Youth Employment Scheme Abroad Secretariat (YESAS) that will enhance facilitation of employment of youth in foreign countries.
She said, “Currently, NYS is also acting as a labour export bureau for middle level skills and building linkages with private sector abroad. This is because young people need information and services to address their health, employment and other needs especially those residing in hard to reach areas and the most vulnerable populations.”
Waiguru said to ensure that all the processes are smoothened out, the government has established youth empowerment and Huduma Centres to offer youth friendly services under one roof. Waiguru encouraged young people to visit these centres for information and services.
She reiterated that the NYS will be involved in various activities including: dam and road construction; traffic control unit; vector control unit, public security and agriculture and enhanced curriculum of vocational training among others. She added that the NYS is being restructured to attract more youth in order to extend the coverage in terms of youth and programs.
Waiguru called on the county leadership, the legislature, development partners and other stakeholders to support the youth empowerment initiatives to enable the young adults participate effectively in economic development ventures at all levels.
She also urged county governments to prioritise youth concerns and allocate sufficient resources that will ensure proper programmes are in place. Waiguru said this will enhance young people’s health status, knowledge and skills development.
The CS said investing in young people is possible if each leader played their part. She called on the religious leaders and institutions to give spiritual and moral guidance that is important in the transition process of young people.
Among those who attended the celebrations were Kajiado County Governor Dr. David Nkedianye, planning Principal Secretary Engineer Peter Mangiti, Devolution Principal Secretary John Konchellah and UNFPA Country Representative Siddharth Chatterjee.