The internship programme launched by Kericho Governor Eric Mutai is a big step towards alleviating unemployment.
From my quick calculation, the county government will spend just about Sh40 million of its annual budget. Counties have apportioned bigger amounts to trivial expenditures in the past. Such amounts and even more have been gobbled up by white elephants. However, with this programme, the impact will be felt far and beyond.
Graduating in Kenya is always an anti-climax. After the sweat and struggle of parents and guardians to keep a child in school, the excitement usually ends at the studio as graduates capture the all-important moment.
After that, what follows is a series of disappointments and setbacks that end in disillusionment and depression. Lack of experience is always the quickest excuse for one's failure to secure a job.
The experience will not be just on paper but practical experience in a serious institution of governance, backed up by a letter, mostly signed by the County Public Service board.
Small token
Secondly, while the one-year programme may not be an assurance of a job thereafter, it is a sure way to keep the graduates' hopes alive, particularly after a long education journey. The longer the time between the date one graduates and the date he is engaged, the more one loses focus and mental capacity to remain hopeful that one's education meant something. This actually affects the community as graduates lose their taste as role models for upcoming generation.
Though it may appear little, the Sh15,000 the interns in Governor Mutai's programme will earn will be quite useful. To some, this is what they need to apply for other jobs, travel, and buy presentable clothes for interviews.
At some point, I lacked Sh100 to photocopy my papers for a job application, let alone travel for the interview. Fresh graduates may also need to apply for scholarships, which will require proficiency tests, entrance exams, or some fee. Also, some will save this amount and become entrepreneurs, either individually or by forming investment groups.
The internship programme can be scaled up to 1,000 graduates a county or varied according to demand.
For an average 1,000 interns, it will cost about Sh200 million, money that will still go back into circulation and stir the local economy.
If this is extrapolated to other counties, the expenditure will be about Sh10 billion for all 47 counties. The national government only needs to add this amount to the county allocation.
