The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is pursuing various bilateral agreements with Western European and Middle East countries for job opportunities for Kenyans.
Labour and Skills Development Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime said the labour bilateral targets create employment opportunities for skilled Kenyans abroad.
Mwadime said the government will soon sign a bilateral agreement with Germany which will create a system for skilled workers to move between the countries.
“We are finalising a labour migration agreement. We have had two rounds of negotiations, the first in Germany and the second one recently,” he said.
The agreement is expected to be signed in September this year.
Mwadime spoke during the official opening of a two-day National JobFair at the National Industrial Training Authority (Nita) in Kisumu where he asked job seekers to take advantage of potential employers.
The forum brought stakeholders from various sectors and professionals. Mwadime called on the participants to seek guidance from the career advisors present during the two-day event.
Similar job fairs will be held across the country including the far-flung areas to encourage the youth and sensitise them on the available job opportunities.
The negotiations between Kenya and Germany underscore the commitment of both countries to enhancing bilateral relations through strategic partnerships in labour migration.
Mwadime said the agreement is expected to significantly increase access to decent foreign jobs for Kenyan workers in Germany, contribute to their socio-economic development through remittances and skill transfers, and address labour shortages in Germany.
Besides Germany, the PS said the government will also sign a memorandum of understanding with Austria.
The bilateral, he stated, was part of the government initiatives to address the high rate of unemployment among the youth.
“The youth have gone to the streets because the rate of unemployment is extremely high in the country,” Mwadime said.
He, however, noted that there are job opportunities, particularly in the Western European countries because of their ageing populations, which Kenyan youth should take advantage of.
“We have come to appraise the youth concerning the available opportunities in foreign countries not only for non-skilled labour but also skilled,” Mwadime said.
The country, he noted, has a young population who are skilled as compared to European countries which have an ageing population.
The PS said some of the European countries have reached out to the government because they have realised Kenya has very skilled and disciplined young people.
“This is the kind of brand that we are marketing in foreign countries to create opportunities for our people,” he said.
Mwadime asked youths to visit the National Employment Authority (NEA) portal to create accounts and match their skills with the job opportunities uploaded on the portal.
The government has also carried out a skills inventory following the complaints, especially from the entrepreneurs within the country.
“The inventory is also for the benefit of the young people who will be migrating abroad. We wanted to know the kind of skills that they have to enable us to establish the skills gap,” Mwadime said.
This, he said will inform change of curriculum to prepare our young people for the labour market.
He pointed out that it was futile for students to spend four years in university or other learning institutions then after they are unable to secure employment.
He added that the country was not only focusing on the non-skilled but also skilled labour to enable young Kenyans to secure jobs abroad.
“We have partnered with universities and TVETS to ensure all young Kenyans are well-equipped with relevant market-oriented skills,” Mwadime said.