To strengthen management and coordination of human resources.
Human Resource Development: Kenya’s global competitiveness will depend on the country’s ability to identify, develop and utilise its human resource base. A National Human Resources Database will be established through a National Manpower Survey, a Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) Survey, an Informal Sector Survey, and a skills inventory.
To address the issue of brain drain, the government is committed to implementing measures that would ensure expansion of the absorptive capacity of the domestic labour market and retention of a critical mass of skilled personnel within the economy. At the same time, mechanisms to offload excess labour to needy and friendly foreign markets will be developed. These efforts will be preceded by taking stock of available skills in the country and the subsequent identification of skills for export.
To promote creativity, innovation and development of special talents, a framework will be put in place to facilitate identification, recognition, nurturing, and rewarding of both academic and non academic talents. In the public service, training and capacity building will focus on training for performance improvement as opposed to training for promotion. In the informal sector, tailor-made skills will be imparted to the entrepreneurs, their staff and trainees. In addition, centres of excellence for MSEs will be established in each province to promote technological transfer, capacity building, product design and development and marketing of MSE products. The said trainings will be facilitated in collaboration with the private sector. To consolidate the gains already realised on industrial and vocational training, Youth Polytechnics and National Youth Service will be transformed into Centres of Excellence so as to produce high quality graduates.
In bridging the gaps between high cadre and middle-level technical skills, mechanisms of tapping the skills of retired technical and professional Kenyans through specific mentorship programmes will be developed. Existing institutions will be expanded, improved and equipped with e-learning facilities for public servants. In addition the government will retrain and redirect human resources in excess supply to areas experiencing shortages in order to meet the requirements of enterprises.
For efficient skills utilisation, the gap between the skills possessed by the job seekers and those required by industry will be addressed. Linkages between the industry, technical training institutions and research institutions will be strengthened. This will promote training that is demand-driven, and ensure that technical and research institutions are responsive to the requirements of industry, particularly in the priority sectors. Consequently, the curricula and syllabi in the education and training institutions will be reviewed. An appropriate feedback mechanism and policy framework to promote industrial attachment and apprenticeship system will be established. Strategic management and co-ordination of human resource aspects of skills development and utilisation will be ensured. Measures will be put in place to identify, attract and retain talent, particularly in the key sectors of the country’s economy. Towards this end an Integrated Human Resource Development Strategy (IHRDS) will be developed. The strategy will provide the guiding
framework for review of the curriculum for various programmes at all levels of skill development and career guidance and counselling.
On creating employment for the youth, Youth Empowerment Centres will be established in all the constituencies. The centres will promote information sharing, provide online career services and facilitate ICT development. The government will facilitate regulation and operations of the Foreign Private Employment Agencies (FPEA) to enhance ethical standards in foreign employment matters, and facilitate collection of information on the Kenyans working and living abroad.