The International Youth Day will be marked tomorrow at the Matuga Youth Empowerment Center in Kwale County.
The Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, State agencies among them the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), the private sector and development partners are partnering to host the celebrations that will bring together Government officials and policy makers to discuss the status of education, employment opportunities and propose solutions to advance the Youth Agenda in line with the Manufacturing Pillar of the Presidential Big Four, Vision 2030, Youth Agenda 2063, AU Agenda and Article 55 of the 2010 Constitution.
Themed 'Transforming Education', the event comes at a time when the Government is implementing measures to tackle youth unemployment.
The Youth Day celebrations also come as calls intensify on young people and especially graduates to look beyond the white collar job spectrum.
As we mark the International Youth Day, it is time that graduates accept the fact the few available white collar job opportunities cannot be for all and must start thinking outside the box and use their talents for socio-economic empowerment.
Young people should also not view employment as only sitting in an office in front of a computer but must be creative and tap the available opportunities for growth.
As the Government battles youth unemployment, the Creative Arts Economy remains one of the key pillars to job creation.
The Creative Arts offers enormous opportunities that can empower young people.
The film sector for instance offers opportunities where talented youths can take advantage of their abilities to create jobs.
Some of the richest people in the world today are in the Creative or talent sectors. The likes of Lupita Nyong'o, Victor Wanyama and comedian Daniel Ndambuki alias Churchil among others are examples to the fact that their are enormous opportunities in the Creative Arts.
The Government through State Corporations like KFCB is creating a facilitative environment for young people to use talents as a means of earning livelihood as well as promoting moral values and national aspirations.
For instance, KFCB is spearheading Sinema Mashinani initiative, a flagship project that seeks to take film to counties with the aim of creating jobs.
KFCB is cognizant to the fact that Kenya is a hot-bed of talent and unique sceneries which can be translated into films for job and wealth creation.
Sinema Mashinani also seeks to facilitate production of films in vernacular with the aim of promoting and safeguarding Kenya’s cultural and linguistic diversity.
Through Sinema Mashinani, KFCB intends to set up talent academies in counties to identify and nurture Creative talents among the youth in line with the Manufacturing Pillar of the Presidential Big Four agenda.
The famous Nairobi Film Centre (formerly Nairobi Cinema) is a project under the Sinema Mashinani and offers a platform for filmmakers, artists, producers and comedians to showcase their clean content that promotes and conforms to moral values and national aspirations.
The Ajira Digital Programme and Studio Mashinani are other initiatives that the Government is spearheading to tackle youth unemployment.
With such initiatives that the Government is rolling-out, young people have every reason to take up the ventures in the Creative sector and create job opportunities for themselves.
Besides self employment, young people should also take up Technical Vocational Trainings (TVETs) to get specific skills that are critical for socio-economic development.
The Government is continually improving TVETs to offer relevant skills to young people to fit in the labour market.
The implementation of the new Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) will also see learners develop creative and innovative skills that will spur social, economic and even political development.
The writer is a Communications Specialist based in Nairobi