The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary (CS), Dr. Alfred Mutua has affirmed that thousands of youths who have already been vetted and successfully recruited for overseas jobs will start working in their respective overseas countries before the end of this year.
CS Dr Mutua has observed that there are thousands of job positions abroad and urged youths who are professionals with skills in areas of their respective specialization to tap in and apply for the job opportunities during the ongoing national-wide recruitment drive.
Speaking in Kitui at Mulango vocational training Centre where he led the county-wide recruitment drive, the Labour and Social Protection CS Dr Mutua, noted that alongside securing the oversea jobs, the government will also help to process traveling documents for all successful job seekers.
He further advised those who will secure the job opportunities but unable to raise enough money to process their travelling, to apply for bank loans so to ensure that they don’t lose the job opportunities.
“First rollout of those hired will be travelling as soon as possible so that they be able to start working before the end of next month. Helping youths to secure jobs abroad is important in addressing youth unemployment in the country”, the CS for Labour and Social Protection said, while addressing hundreds of youths who had turned up for the job recruitment exercise at Mulango vocational training centre.
Dr Mutua said that several countries across the world had successfully managed to address unemployment of youths in their countries through the strategy of helping their skilled youths secure jobs abroad.
The CS explained the recruitment process involved for those applying for the jobs abroad at the ongoing recruitment exercise.
“Once an applicant has successfully completed the recruitment exercise, you are then issued with a document that shows you have gotten a provisional employment and the country you are destined to. You are then required to undergo more tests including good conduct and medical fitness”, CS Dr Mutua explained.
“After you get the job and your finger prints taken, as a government, we will organise on how you will get passports so that you travel abroad”, he added.
The CS lamented that there are over five million youths who are unemployed in the country and the government was trying to work out different strategies to address the high youth employment.
According to the CS, some of the available job opportunities include nursing, gardeners, plant operators, chefs, security guards and housemaids, among many others.
Kitui county commissioner Mr Kipchumba Rutto who accompanied the CS Dr Mutua, while addressing the job seekers (youths) during the recruitment exercise, underscored that the national government’s strategy to help youths to secure jobs abroad will help address teething problem of high youths’ unemployment in the country.
Mr Kipchumba observed that those youths who will be able to secure the said jobs, their livelihoods will be uplifted as well as that of their families’ members back in the country.
By Denson Mututo