Support for developing youth technical and vocational education and training

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The project, co-financed by Finland and Germany, strengthens the quality of Kenya’s vocational education and training by promoting hands-on education and meeting the needs of the labour market. The objective of the project is to develop and expand cooperative training adapted to the Kenyan context that responds to labour market needs throughout the country. In addition, the project will improve the capacity of staff in vocational education and training institutions, strengthen vocational teacher education, develop digital teaching and learning methods, and promote gender equality and inclusion of persons with disabilities. The project also aims to support the green transition by integrating environmental knowledge, environmental norms and climate sustainable practices into national curricula for vocational education and training and into the education sector. Creating productive and decent jobs for the growing youth population is a key challenge for Kenya’s development. About 39 per cent of the Kenyan population is aged under 15, and the working-age population is growing by about one million per year. At the moment, however, only about 10 per cent of young people find work in the official sector. A key challenge facing the Kenyan labour market is the availability of skilled labour. Vocational education and training is too theoretical and does not meet the needs of the labour market and companies. There is also a need for more vocational teachers and the training of vocational teachers must be improved. The beneficiaries of the project are young women and men in vocational education and training, and vocational teachers; staff of the Kenyan Ministry of Education, vocational education and training institutions and educational institutions as well as private companies and employers who, as a result of the project, will find skilled workforce. The project aims to draw on Finnish expertise and build partnerships between Finnish and Kenyan educational institutions through institutional cooperation. In addition, approximately one third of the implementation will be subjected to competitive tendering for international service providers, which will also create opportunities for Finnish actors. The total budget of the project is EUR 15 million for the years 2023-2026. Finland’s funding amounts to EUR 8 million, Germany’s EUR 7 million and the in-kind funding of Kenyan partners is estimated at EUR 2.5 million.