Nairobi to host East African summit on youth employability

Over 2,000 delegates convene to tackle employability challenges in the region. [iStock]

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Nairobi will host the first East African Employability Summit next week.

The event, which will run from November 22 to 23, aims to address the employability skills gap among the youth in the region.

The summit will bring together over 2,000 delegates from the East African Community, including policymakers, educators, employers, and civil society actors.

They will share best practices and innovations on how to equip the youth with the skills and competencies that are in demand in the job market.

"The summit offers a first-of-a-kind platform to assess the milestones, shortcomings and opportunities in the quest to achieve 100 per cent transition of youth from training to industry," said Esther Muchiri Otieno, a lecturer at CUEA and part of the organizing team.

The summit will also feature the Uongozi Career Awards 2023, which will recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals and institutions that have contributed to bridging the employability disparities in the region.

Over 50 awards in different categories will be presented during a gala dinner on the second day of the summit.

The event is organized by the Corporate Career Academy (CCA), CUEA, and the STEM Impact Centre.

"Our objective is to reflect on the 10 years of the Employability Skills Challenge and transmit best practices to accelerate on-demand skills transfer to East Africa's Youth for Sustainable Development," explained Philip Pande, the executive director of CCA.

The summit comes at a time when Africa is facing a youth unemployment crisis, with a median age of 19.7 years and 60 per cent of the youth out of work.

By 2050, the continent's youth population is projected to hit the billion mark, posing a huge challenge for the education and training sector.

The summit will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss how to enhance the quality and relevance of education and training in the region, and how to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth.