It is a boon for some 50, 000 graduates after the Government partnered with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to roll out internship programmes in the private sector.
The programme, dubbed Kenya Internship and Jobs Initiative (KIJI), will enable graduates to work and gain experience in the private sector as the government moves to close the gap in unemployment in the country.
Speaking during a Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) workshop in Kisumu, State Department for Industry Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Juma Mukhwana, said the initiative will be launched later this year and is made to complement 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.
Interested applicants are urged to apply online using the portal www.kiji.go.ke, where so far over 20, 000 opportunities have been advertised.
Dr. Mukwana said besides earning a monthly stipend through the programmes, the beneficiaries shall be equipped with the necessary skills to compete effectively for opportunities locally and globally.
The Government, he said, has formulated a framework to facilitate the smooth running of the programme.
The framework, he said, outlines what is expected from the industries in terms of working conditions, insurance, duration of the internship and amount of money to be paid to the interns.
“What was delaying us was the 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.
By Vostine Ratemo
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