High Level Roundtable on Green Jobs & Skills Development in Kenya

Background

As part of the regional implementation of the Green Jobs for Youth Pact, GO4SDGs is working with the Kenyan Government to support the development of a legislative framework aimed at advancing the opportunities in green jobs and green skills development for youth in the country, together with partners of the pact, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and implementing partner Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA). 

The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) reports the unemployment rate of Kenyan youth (15–34 years old) at around 67%. The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) highlights that over 31% of Kenyan youth are either unemployed or underemployed. Reports also indicate that over one million young people enter the labour market annually, however, the Kenyan job market is not creating enough jobs to absorb this huge number of young people entering the workforce every year.

The Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) is the government's approach to planning that is geared towards economic turnaround through a value chain approach. BETA has targeted sectors that drive economic recovery through six objectives: lower cost of living, eradicate hunger, create jobs, expand the tax base, improve foreign exchange balances, and foster inclusive growth. The BETA will also ensure rational resource allocation by eliminating wastage of resources due to duplication, fragmentation and ineffective programmes and project coordination. 

The 2024 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) reaffirms the priority policies and strategies outlined in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and as prioritized in the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023-2027, of Vision 2030.

Among the bottom-up economic transformation agenda's priority sectors is the environment and natural resources. A focus on green growth and green jobs is an opportunity for the country to undertake a wider-reaching and fundamental restructuring of its activities to create low-carbon and climate-resilient development pathways. This will be in line with national and international commitments that Kenya has made under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through its Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative, is supporting the Kenyan government to tackle the youth unemployment crisis and to support attainment of the goals outlined in Kenya’s Medium-Term Plan IV (MTP IV), including the creation of 1.2 million jobs a year and ensuring a smooth transition to a more sustainable economy. This collaboration also aims to accelerate the implementation of the Green Jobs for Youth Pact in Kenya. 

The Green Jobs for Youth Pact is a collaborative initiative by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  The Pact brings together employers, governments, youth, and education partners to tackle the youth and green jobs deficit and make the transition to low-carbon, circular, and nature positive economies through three tracks: employment and entrepreneurship, education and green skills, empowerment, and youth partnerships.

The Pact aims to: 

• Develop 1 million new green jobs.
• Transform 1 million existing roles into green roles.
• Support 10,000 young green entrepreneurs as they start their businesses.

In support of Kenya's efforts to develop green jobs and skills, GO4SDGs, through the Green Jobs for Youth Pact, is partnering with Jacob's Ladder Africa as its implementation partner. This collaborative effort will include strengthening engagement among key stakeholders through forums such as consultations and roundtables, culminating in an inaugural national workshop. The overarching goal of the National Workshop is to aggregate the efforts by key stakeholders from the private and public sectors, development partners, youth-led organizations, policymakers, and research institutions, to take stock of existing policies, and their implementation to date, showcase the best practices, and collaboratively develop actionable targets to help achieve the objectives of the National Green Jobs Strategy.