Youth urged embrace job opportunities abroad

By Peter Ochieng

Kenyan youth have been urged not to shy away from job opportunities abroad, as the government works around the clock to address the issue of unemployment afflicting a majority of young people in the nation.

Addressing youth while officially opening a two-day Job Fair at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) in Kisumu on Thursday, Shadrack Mwadime, the Principal Secretary (PS) State Department for Labour and Skills Development gave an example of a country like Germany, which he said is in demand of energetic workforce due an ageing population.

In Germany, he said, restaurants only open thrice a week because of lack of cooks and waiters among other workers. He said he recently met the Germany ambassador to Kenya, adding that in September, the two countries will sign a bilateral labour agreement to allow Kenyans to go work in the European nation.

“Go work abroad for three to five years, come back and invest,” urged Mwadime. He said South Korea used that model to become economically stable, through sending its citizens to work and learn technology in Japan, before coming back to invest at home. In 2013, the PS said, diaspora remittances hit Sh663 billion, an equivalent of 4 billion US dollars.

If Kenyans continue going abroad for work related ventures, Mwadime said remittances will hit Sh1 trillion, a quarter of the national budget. “Go work, come back and invest so that we expand our economy,” he added.

To avoid cases of being mistreated abroad, those seeking to fly out of the country in the near future were directed to get in touch with the National Environment Authority (NEA), to confirm whether opportunities they have landed abroad are authentic or not.

Speaking at the event, Geoffrey Ochola, International Labour Organization (ILO) representative called for intensified collaboration between the industry and institutions of training, so that training institutions churn out trainees with the relevant skills that the job market requires.

He urged youth to be more ‘opportunity oriented' even as they chase after employment opportunities.