The State Department for Labour and Skills Development will hold a two-day recruitment drive for job seekers in Nyeri County starting tomorrow.
The exercise will take place at the Nyeri National Polytechnic between tomorrow and Saturday under the Kazi Majuu recruitment clarion call.
According to a statement from CS for Labour and Social Protection, Dr Alfred Mutua, the State is seeking at least 10,000 Kenyans to work in the construction industry in the United Arab Emirates from early next year.
Those who wish to be considered for the opportunities must have trained either as steel fixers, masons, scaffolders, carpenters or water proofing technicians.
Successful candidates will be issued with their letters on the spot and given a few days in order to process all their travel requirements prior to flying out of the country.
Salaries for those who will be picked for the positions will range between Sh30,000 and Sh60,000 with accommodation, transport, food and medical care being provided free by the employer.
Nyeri County, National Employment Authority (NEA) Principal Employment Officer Sheila Kiganka says the Government is targeting a total of 500 recruits for each of the advertised positions in Nyeri County alone.
She said for one to be considered for the jobs he or she must possess a valid certificate for the advertised position from a recognized institution of learning in Kenya.
She however said each of the successful candidates must move with speed to obtain all the travel documents to avoid missing out as the jobs required to be filled up as soon as possible.
“Once we are through with the recruitment process, those who will make it will be issued with the preliminary letters for the positions as they look for their travel document and finances for their movement. The jobs advertised are for immediate occupation depending on how quickly successful candidates process their travel documentations.” she told KNA.
Last month Kiganka said the Government would launch a recruitment drive for job seekers in Nyeri County on February 3 next year.
She told KNA they are currently urging those in possession of both professional and technical skills to log into the authority’s portal and get registered ahead of the planned massive recruitment drive.
The officer revealed the Government has enumerated a total of 57 skills that form an integral part of the requirements for those wishing to be considered for the jobs.
Some of the opportunities up for grabs include in the field of nursing, carpentry, driving, plumbing, beauticians, engineering and teaching among others.
By last month, a total of 1,690 persons from Nyeri County had already logged into the authority’s recruitment portal.
“Currently National Employment Authority is running a program in all the counties in phase 1 of the National job recruitment program that began in Machakos yesterday (Wednesday) in coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),’’ said Kiganka on the sidelines of the 6th National Government Development Meeting- Nyeri County Implementation Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-CIMC) held in Nyeri last month.
“We are registering both job seekers and employers on the National Employment Authority platform. We hope to register many more people and link them to local jobs and also in regulated foreign employment agencies.”
To help create awareness among the local populace, the Government is working through a multi-agency approach that has roped in both the national and county government actors such as officers from the Youth Fund, tertiary colleges and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
“We look forward to making a big impact and in line with Vision 2030 of Kenya, the Economic pillar. We cannot have an economically empowered society when unemployment rates are high. Registration is free on our portal for those who are seeking for vacancies and those who are advertising their vacancies as per the employment Act 10 of 2007 which mandates us to obtain vacancies for any Kenyan,” added the official.
Majority of those who will be selected during the selection process will have an opportunity to work in foreign countries that are seeking to recruit personnel into their ever-shrinking human resource pool, especially in the technical department.
Those who will be recruited during the exercise will fly out either to the UK, US, Germany, Australia, Qatar, Canada or Saudi Arabia where opportunities for people in technical fields are currently in high demand.
By Samuel Maina