Effect of Upskilling on Employee Performance in Community Based Organizations in Laikipia County

Employee performance is a critical component of the success and effectiveness of community-based organizations. However, there are challenges that hinder optimal performance in these organizations. One significant issue is the limited access to training and development opportunities hence the need to conduct a study on the effect of upskilling on employee performance in community-based organizations in Laikipia County, Kenya. The study was informed by human capital theory. This study adopted an exploratory research design. The unit of analysis was six community-based organizations in Laikipia County. The unit of observation was 151 employees working with the six community-based organizations in Laikipia County. The sample size was 110 respondents drawn from the six organizations calculated using Taro Yamane. Data was collected using questionnaires. A pilot study was conducted to test the data collection instruments for their validity and reliability. From the findings the Cronbach Alpha was between 0.7-1 implying that the research instrument was reliable. The collected data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that there is a moderate positive and statistically significant correlation between upskilling and employee performance in community-based organizations in Laikipia County, (r=0.543; p<0.05). From the findings, the study recommended that training programs should address specific challenges faced by these organizations. Moreover, community-based organizations should design comprehensive training programs that expose employees to various aspects of community-based work. To enhance the impact of upskilling on employee performance it is recommended that CBOs should tailor training programs to address specific challenges faced by these organizations.