FOR many Kenyans, particularly young people, looking for a job has increasingly become a full-time job in itself.
The cost goes far beyond the money spent on transport, internet bundles, applications and additional training.
It is also measured in the months, and sometimes years, spent searching for an opportunity while trying to remain economically active.
Kenya’s employment challenge, however, is more complex than simply saying that there are not enough jobs.
The economy continues to create employment, but much of it is informal, insecure and offers limited opportunities for productivity, skills development and career progression.
This means that the real challenge is not just job creation, but the creation of quality and sustainable pathways into productive work.
Young people are particularly affected by what can be described as the “experience paradox”.
Employers need candidates who can demonstrate practical skills, adaptability, digital competence, communication and problem-solving abilities.
Yet many young people are expected to have experience before they have been given meaningful opportunities to acquire it.
Breaking this cycle requires a rethink of the entire school-to-work ecosystem. The transition from education to employment must become more deliberate, practical and employer-led.
We need to significantly expand internships, apprenticeships, structured workplace learning and mentorship programmes, while strengthening collaboration between employers, training institutions and government.
We must broaden our definition of work experience to include short-term projects, freelance assignments, microtasks and other forms of digitally enabled work.
Young people should be able to build credible portfolios before securing their first formal job.
Kenya’s demographic dividend will ultimately depend on how effectively we connect young people’s talent to productive opportunities.
No young Kenyan should have to wait for a first job to begin building the experience needed to get one.
The writer is programme manager, youth and jobs at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance
