The program will reach an additional 39,000 youth through partnerships with 100 vocational training centres that will be supported to deliver market-based, demand-driven skills training across the country. The program will also support 4,000 of the targeted youth to establish or grow micro-enterprises.

“This new partnership will contribute to a sustainable solution for youth employment in Kenya, reaching tens of thousands of youth with the critical skills they need to enter the workforce or start a small business,” said Karen Moore, Program Manager of Youth Livelihoods at The MasterCard Foundation. “It will also support ongoing advancements of the technical and vocational education system in the country, expanding the reach of the program so that more youth have the opportunity to improve their livelihoods.”

The first phase of the project was launched in 2011 and has directly trained more than 9,000 Kenyan youth with technical and life-skills. More than 88 percent of these youth transitioned to jobs, created small businesses or enrolled in further education and training.

According to a longitudinal survey from The University of Minnesota, the majority of youth who completed the program reported that they feel a greater sense of confidence and financial independence, have become role models within their communities, are able to save money and can contribute to the well-being of their families.

The program has also helped to build the capacity of vocational training centres by enabling them to apply the key principles of the BEST model in order to improve learning outcomes in their institutions. In this way, CAP YEI has reached an additional 5,800 youth through partnerships with 46 vocational training centres across Kenya.