Employability Skills Development among Beneficiaries of the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project by Gender in the Selected Counties in Kenya.

In Kenya, in partnership with the World Bank, the government launched an apprenticeship work readiness program known as the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP) in 2016 to solve the unemployment challenges among young people. However, there has been a growing concern regarding the continued challenge of youth unemployment, especially among young women in Kenya. Statistics from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics of 2022 show that out of the 13.9% of the total unemployed youth in Kenya, the rate is higher among young women at 20.3% compared to 16.8% for young men. Moreover, Kenyan employers have expressed concerns that youths entering the job market lack the employability skills needed for success in the workplace, which they have termed as part of the reasons for unsuccessful labour market entry. This study assessed the extent of employability skills development among beneficiaries of the KYEOP program by gender in the selected counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. The study applied the Theory of Change. The study was based on a cross-sectional research design, and a sample of 211 respondents was considered. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study found variations in the extent of employability skills development between male and female beneficiaries, though they were insignificant. Specifically, a slightly higher percentage of female beneficiaries reported improved employability skills in areas such as decision-making, problem-solving, and communication skills compared to the male ones. The study recommends that the KYEOP program continue refining its training modules to further bridge the skill gap between genders to ensure equitable skill development outcomes.