The Government of Kenya has collaborated with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to launch an internship program dubbed the Kenya Internship and Jobs Initiative (KIJI).
This program aims to provide on-the-job training and experience to 50,000 graduates in the private sector, addressing unemployment concerns in the country.
The initiative, set to be launched later this year, will complement existing internship programs sich as the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) internship programmes, which have absorbed 4,000 and 25, 000 fresh graduates respectively and help graduates compete globally.
Applicants can apply through the portal www.kiji.go.ke, where over 20,000 private sector openings have already been posted.
The program offers monthly stipends and equips beneficiaries with skills for both local and global opportunities.
A framework has been established to ensure smooth implementation, outlining industry expectations regarding working conditions, insurance, duration, and stipends for interns.
State Department for Industry Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Juma Mukwana while speaking during a Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) workshop in Kisumu, noted the program aligns with the need for industry-relevant training, and the partnership with the private sector has great potential to narrow unemployment gaps.
“What was delaying us was lack of a framework to roll out the programme.” We did not want our interns to go into industries with poor working conditions,” he said.
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