Youth from Kisii County are set to receive technical vocational skills training from the KCB Foundation. This is following the signing of a partnership agreement between the foundation and the County Government of Kisii.
Under the partnership, KCB Foundation will match the County Government’s Ksh. 25 million investment towards youth technical skills and job creation. This will bring the total cumulative investment to Ksh. 50 million. This is part of KCB Foundation’s efforts in catalyzing economic growth by tackling youth unemployment at grassroots levels by supporting the creation of SMEs through youth vocational skills training.
The youth will be trained under KCB Foundation’s 2jiajiri program, which seeks to upskill unemployed and out-of-school youth to gain technical skills and create their employment in the job market. The training will take place at National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) certified technical institutions for certification purposes.
The county government will create opportunities for industrial attachments and on-the-job internships through direct engagement and partnerships with both public and private sectors. This will ensure that trained youth can seamlessly transition into the workforce.
The KCB Foundation was launched in 2007 with the mandate of promoting sustainable development to alleviate poverty and enhance the well-being of its communities. The Foundation achieves this through strategic partnerships as well as its diverse programs. These include 2Jijiari, Education program, and Sustainable Agriculture programs.
Speaking during the MoU signing, KCB Foundation Director Mendi Njonjo noted, “As KCB Foundation, we pride ourselves in our flagship program, 2Jiajiri, which seeks to formalize the informal job sector to make it appealing to the youth and spur socio-economic development from county level. We will also provide access to capital, capacity-building, and mentorship through our Business Development arm to empower the enterprise owners and managers to run their businesses successfully.”
On his part, Kisii County Governor Simba Arati said, “I am committed to the progress of Kisii County and the promises I made to my electorates. I am particularly happy that through this approach, we’re not only empowering the youth with technical skills, but as a result, we’re catalyzing the economic prospects of our MSMEs through strategic training and access to capital, to ensure they thrive.”