Young people in Kericho County have been challenged to seriously consider ventures in entrepreneurship to tackle the high rate of unemployment in the country instead of chasing after the elusive white-collar jobs.
The Kenya Industrial and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP), in collaboration with the Strengthening Kenya Innovation Ecosystem (SKIES) organisation, encouraged the youth to embrace entrepreneurship as a viable path to self-employment in sectors such as agribusiness, technology startups, financial technology, and manufacturing-value addition.
Speaking during a youth entrepreneurship training at a Kericho hotel, the Chief Project and Managing Director of SKIES, George Wayne, encouraged the youth to seize the opportunity to create their own businesses, highlighting the potential for personal and community growth through entrepreneurial ventures.
He said the over a hundred youth who benefitted from the seminar were trained on various entrepreneurial skills essential in positioning them to identify opportunities, make effective decisions, turn their ideas into reality, overcome challenges, and properly allocate resources to achieve goals and succeed.
“The steps to successfully choosing a business idea involve first considering the place of business establishment, trend, and legal processes involved in the business startup. Consider a niche and uniqueness in your business idea.” Said Wayne
The majority of the youth who were graduates were trained on business management skills essential for entrepreneurs to effectively plan, organise, direct, and control the resources of an organisation by building credibility, improving efficiency, managing risks, implementing effective strategies, creating a positive company culture, and growing a business.
The SKIES managing director also said the training covered communication skills, leadership skills, management skills, and the importance of teamwork and collaboration.
He also announced that SKIES plans to open an office in Kericho, which will serve as a hub for local entrepreneurs to seek support, resources, and networking opportunities, strengthen the local innovation ecosystem, and provide continuous support to the entrepreneurial community in Kericho County.
Strengthening Kenya’s Innovation Ecosystem (SKIES) is a sub-component of the Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP), funded by the World Bank Group and implemented by the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry (MITI).
By Kibe Mburu and Sharon Chepwogen
