Young women who took part in a targeted STEM TVET training programme were more likely to be employed and earn more than comparable young women who did not participate, according to new research presented in Nairobi on Monday.

The findings were presented at a policy briefing bringing together the researchers, policymakers, government officials and development partners to discuss what the evidence means for strengthening pathways from STEM training to employment for young women in Kenya.

The study, ‘Scaling STEM training can improve young women’s employment in Kenya,’ found that 63 per cent of women who participated in the STEM Education for Empowerment Project (STEEP) were employed, compared with 48 per cent of applicants who were not selected and 52 per cent of comparable young women who did not apply.

The research was co-authored by Dr Phyllis Machio and Dr Bernadette Wanjala.

Econometric analysis estimated that participation increased the likelihood of employment by up to 26 per cent compared with one comparison group and 18 per cent compared with the other. Monthly earnings were estimated to be 22 per cent higher.

“These findings show us what is possible when young women are given the opportunity to develop technical skills, confidence and practical workplace experience,” Dr Machio said.

“The girls were excited that they were defying societal expectations and doing things that were traditionally considered as mainstays for men. They were electricians, and they were plumbers, and they were excited to be doing the jobs.”

STEEP is a four-year initiative supporting out-of-school adolescent girls from vulnerable backgrounds with technical and soft skills to prepare them for STEM training and employment.

The programme combined technical training, life skills, mentorship and work-based learning with three cohorts trained between February 2024 and June 2025. The training was conducted across six locations: Kakamega county, Kenyenya in Kisii county, Kisumu county, Mathira in Nyeri county, Sega in Siaya county and Sero in Homa Bay county.

The training included market-relevant technical pathways, including areas such as food and beverage production and service, electrical installation and wiring, plumbing and pipe fitting and solar PV and electrical. 

For some participants, the training challenged long-held assumptions about what jobs women can do. One female participant captured this shift simply: “I'm happy because I'm a girl and I'm doing plumbing. Some people say that girls cannot be plumbers. But this gives me added joy.”

However, the study also found that training alone does not remove the barriers women face when moving into employment. Participants identified the short duration of training, lack of formal certification and the cost of NITA examination fees as challenges. Some who had completed training were unable to secure opportunities with formal companies because they did not have the required certification.

Participants also reported discrimination and harassment in male-dominated workplaces, highlighting the need for stronger safeguards as more women enter traditionally male occupations.

CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (CAP YEI) representative Dennis Muchiri, whose organisation implemented the programme, said skilling alone is not the end goal.

“The programme approach is getting people skills, adjusting their attitude and giving them knowledge,” he said.

“We are not here to just share outcomes. We should ask ourselves, ‘How will this evidence affect future programmes? What are we going to create tomorrow that comes from the evidence today?’”

Internships emerged as another important bridge between training and employment. The researchers found that practical workplace experience helped participants build confidence and, in some cases, move directly into employment.

The findings are significant against a backdrop of continued gender disparity in technical education. Women account for only 38 per cent of STEM enrolment in Kenya’s TVET institutions, according to data cited in the policy brief.

The researchers recommend expanding the STEEP model to marginalised counties, embedding structured life-skills training and female mentorship into TVET STEM programmes, developing stronger public-private partnerships through the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) to provide internships linked to employment, and strengthening workplace safeguards for women entering STEM careers.

The study was funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and the Barrett Family Foundation and was led by Humber Polytechnic’s International Development Institute, with CAP YEI as the implementing partner in Kenya.

The research was supported by the Partnership for Economic Policy through its Learning and Knowledge Management Project, with funding from Global Affairs Canada.

The policy briefing provides an opportunity for government, training institutions, employers, researchers and development partners to consider how evidence from STEEP can inform future approaches to women’s participation in STEM, TVET and employment in Kenya.