Labour and Skills Development’s Principal Secretary, Shadrack Mwadime has emphasized that capacity building was critical for the country’s labour force to increase its aptitude in exporting local workforce
Speaking at the African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC) Governing Council meeting held at Pride Inn Paradise Mombasa, the PS said that the opportunities available in the Western European Countries are those in industries, IT, and Hospitality that require people who are highly skilled in their areas of specialization.
ARLAC is the instrument of effective labour administration for English-speaking countries of Africa which was started in Nairobi Kenya in 1974 and was later moved to Zimbabwe in 1986.
“As ARLAC we need to increase training opportunities for our member states so that our young people can acquire the skills that are required to access these jobs,” Mwadime said.
He added that the remittances received from Kenyans in the diaspora currently amount to approximately 663 billion, noting that efforts are underway to increase this figure to 1 trillion, aiming to cover a quarter of the national budget.
“Foreign exchange from Kenyans abroad has already surpassed the traditional foreign exchange earners like the cash crops, tea and coffee,” Mwadime added.
He also said that Kenyans who have undertaken hospitality courses are well-recognized abroad in terms of their performance.
Mwadime added that it is important to note that the economy develops cyclically because, before, the Western Europeans sent their young people to Africa to explore and exploit the resources in Africa at large.
He said that there is now the opportunity to capitalize on the aging population in Western European countries for the benefit of Africa’s young people.
Mwadime noted that this highlights the potential for tapping into emerging opportunities abroad to create avenues for employment and skill development among the youth. By leveraging these opportunities, it is envisioned that young people in the continent can access new pathways for growth and advancement in various sectors.
The Chairman of ARLAC, July Moyo said that the collaboration between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) has resulted in wanting to ensure that they have labored administration training for the Administration’s people in government, labor, and business.
Two other activities have been combined into this celebration, the governing council, which is attended by Ministers from most of the English-speaking Countries and there are also observers attending the meeting giving examples of South Sudan who have not joined the administration yet.
He noted that they are also going to discuss how they can attract more English-speaking countries to join the administration.
Moyo said that so far they have done over 300 sessions of training and the impact is aimed at developing a labour-competent continent.
By Fatma Said
