Africa has a population of almost 200 million people aged between 15 and 24. This category makes up 40% of the workforce, and 60% of the unemployed active labour force. This number is expected to double by 2045, bringing a big challenge on African Economies since high youth unemployment is an impending threat to stability in Africa. This is a problem that the continent must address to avert uprising and therefore maintain peace to attract investment and create wealth and the much needed employment.
Although the overall unemployment in Kenya is at 12.7 percent, Youth (15 – 34 year olds), who form 35 percent of the Kenyan population, have the highest unemployment rate of 67 percent. Over one million young people enter into the labour market annually without any skills some having either dropped out of school or completed school and not enrolled in any college.
FKE continues to partner with the Government of Kenya to ensure businesses are supported to be productive and competitive enough to create and sustain new jobs; entrepreneurship and innovation is nurtured and developed to create opportunities for youth to get jobs.
FKE also offers Business Development Services to young people in Kenya utilizing the ILO Youth Entrepreneurship Facility (YEF) tool referred to as Start and Improve Your Business. The tool comprises of Start your Business (SYB) ,Generate your Business Idea (GYBI) and Improve Your Business(IYB), The ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme is a signature ILO training tool that is used in over 100 countries worldwide.