Gachagua says gov’t will re-examine curriculum to ensure graduates secure jobs
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced that the government will re-examine the current education curriculum to ensure that graduates secure jobs in future.
Speaking on Thursday, December 15, 2022, Gachagua decried the worrying state of unemployment among Kenyan graduates and was quick to point out that the new reforms would help resolve the issue aforementioned.
He also highlighted that the future of jobs lies in the ICT sector and equally urged graduates to equip themselves with the requisite skills to secure jobs.
"Currently more than 900,000 youths leave tertiary institutions into an environment full of opportunities for those who have the requisite skills for job demands, the youths join millions job seeking Kenyans" he stated.
Youths to secure jobs
Earlier, President William Ruto had announced that at least 11,000 youths would secure jobs from the government's tree-planting initiative in Nairobi.
The Head of State who was speaking during the country's 59th Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Monday, December 12, 2022, said the national government working with the County Government of Nairobi will recruit the youth to grow at least 1.5 million trees in the city’s open and public spaces.
The President noted that the initiative, set to benefit youth previously engaged in the Jubilee administration's Kazi Mtaani program, is part of the government's big dream of greening the Kenyan capital.
The President also invited other counties to join hands with the national government to support the tree-planting initiative.
He directed the Ministry of Interior to ensure that all Regional Commissioners, County Commissioners, Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs and Nyumba Kumi officials, mobilize the public drive for National Tree Planting Culture.
"The exercise will be coordinated at locational level and cascaded downwards," Ruto said.
The President said every Chief shall be required to dedicate at least one day per week for a public Baraza cum tree planting drive in which the public will be mobilized to plant and grow at least 3,000 trees weekly, within their respective locations.
"This weekly deliverable will be a shared responsibility among the Chief, his/her Assistant Chiefs and Nyumba Kumi officials. Each Assistant County Commissioner, Deputy County Commissioner, County Commissioner and Regional Commissioner shall file monthly returns on these targets to the Ministry of Interior," he added.
President Ruto noted that free seedlings would be provided to the public through Chiefs, schools and other public institutions by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to facilitate the exercise.
Kazi Mtaani
The President had last month indicated plans to scrap the Kazi Mtaani programme that offered unemployed youth environmental jobs under the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He said the work in which the young people were recruited to plant trees and collect garbage would be undertaken by county governments.
Ruto stated that Kazi Mtaani would be replaced by the tree-planting initiative to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change in the country.
“We have to initiate long-term resilience activities to cushion the people against drought and food insecurity,” he stated.
