By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
The principal secretary for economic planning Bonface Makokha has called on the youth to be innovative and create more opportunities that will help to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.
Speaking during the sensitization on NYOTA program in Busia, Ps Makokha said the country is producing many qualified youths from institutions who cannot be all absorbed in the job market.
“White collar jobs are shrinking every year. Our universities produce almost a million from our universities. From which you find only 200,000 available jobs, leaving 800,000 of them without a job. Youth should open up their minds to learn and understand that they should not wait to get white collar job, instead they should engage in other technical works and be innovative” he said.
The PS said the NYOTA program which has been funded by the world bank at a cost of 5 billion will be a game changer in the country more so to the youth who have lacked capital to set up a business.
“NYOTA program is there to build the capacity of the youth, and give them the opportunity of capital to start doing work. Business is playing a big role in the economic development of our county. My call to the youth is that we work together, so that we can build and empower them through the financial support so that they can change their status”
He further noted that the government will also start an initiative to recognize the experience one has learned at work by offering a certificate
“The youth will be trained, given capital and to do business. We want 70 youth from each of 1450 wards so that they can be empowered. This is the legacy of the bottom-up transformation agenda. As we move forward, we will also be giving certificate to those people who have gained experience from working at their fields including masonry, mechanic, building and construction, among other fields” he said
Busia county commissioner Mwachaunga Chaunga said the NYOTA program will give youth opportunities to create self-employment.
“When we take the number of youths who qualify from each ward, then we multiply by the number of wards in our county, that’s a big number of youths who will benefit. If they get proper training and embrace the project, we will have taken a big step in addressing unemployment in the country and promoting self-sustainability among the youth in Busia.”
