2,600 Kilifi youth graduate from NYOTA work-based training programme

A total of 2,600 young people from all wards in Kilifi County have graduated under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) On-the-Job Experience (OJE) programme.

The graduation, held at Karisa Maitha Grounds in Kilifi, marked the completion of graduations for 90,000 NYOTA OJE beneficiaries across the country.

According to State Department for Youth and the Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs, the Kilifi beneficiaries will now undertake five months of work-based training with employer organisations and master craftsmen.

The trainees will receive a monthly stipend of Sh6,000 during the training period before undergoing technical skills assessment and certification by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA).

Jacobs said both technical and soft skills were essential in preparing young people for employment and the changing demands of the economy.

“With expanded industrialisation and technological advances, we are positioning Kenyan youth to be suitably qualified and ready for the opportunities of the future,” he said.

The PS said the programme was intended to give young people practical work experience alongside technical skills to improve their prospects of securing employment.

Jacobs attended the graduation ceremony alongside Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Salim Mvurya, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, National Project Manager for NYOTA Augustine Mayabi, National Youth Council CEO Gloria Wawira, members of the County Assembly and other officials.

He said the government remained committed to expanding opportunities for young people and equipping them with skills and experience needed to enter the labour market.

The NYOTA programme is being implemented as part of government efforts to improve youth employability through skills development, work experience and other economic opportunities.