Ajira Digital participated in the launch of the Community of Practices (CoP) event organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on 28^th August 2023 at a Nairobi Hotel. KEPSA, a leader in this thematic area of youth employment and digital entrepreneurship of CoP, was represented by Dr Ehud Gachugu – Project Director, Ajira Digital Program.

The Community of Practice (CoP) focuses on digital skills and job creation in Kenya. Ms Caroline Njuki, ILO PROSPECTS Programme Manager and Mr Victor Kimanthi, ILO Consultant, took the members through the background and objectives of the CoP, introduced the Core Working Group Members, which included Dr Gachugu from KEPSA, and highlighted the terms of reference and suggestions of the CoP thematic areas.

These priority thematic areas included; Innovation, job creation and entrepreneurship; digital skills and education; e-commerce, digital financial services and digital platforms; digital infrastructure, inclusion and access; and digital government including laws, regulations and governance in general. This launch focused on the first thematic area: Innovation, job creation and Entrepreneurship.

KEPSA Project Director for Ajira Digital, Dr Gachugu noted that Digital Entrepreneurship is a key driver to economic growth as Africa experiences a digital rebirth with thriving ecosystems. Automation and AI are as such reshaping job markets. He noted that fostering digital entrepreneurship ensures a transition to new types of employment in the near future.

Government initiatives, collaborations across sectors, incubators and mentorship programs, funding opportunities and grants, emerging youth-led ventures and digital skills training were observed as various ways that the Private sector, Government, NGOs, Financial Institutions and Academic Institutions could create synergistic platforms for youth development in the digital economy.

The CoP was officially launched by Mr Peter Mutema, Senior Labour Officer, representing the principal secretary, of the state department of Labour and Skills Development.

Mr. Mutema noted that the economy, alias digital economy presents a unique opportunity for Africa and for our product growth as digital technologies become the cornerstone of material activities, governments, businesses, and individuals. As such we must adapt to this new reality through training, mentorship and funding opportunities. Going digital is no longer simply part of how we conduct our day-to-day activities, but the bedrock of a country’s economic growth.

Mr Benson Okwaro, the Deputy Secretary General, COTU, recognized the challenges in the job market as posed by the changing times and emerging technologies. He remarked that in as much as digitization is irreversible, we have to seize the opportunities this presents in the job market for the greater good to aim towards a first-world country status.

The Deputy Director, Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, Mr Nusu Mwamanzi, in his sentiments, noted that the government is driving, towards enabling a suitable environment for ICT development to thrive, in order to reap the benefits of the digital economy. Some of the key benefits of these will include; the creation of job opportunities, empower business and trade, quality of health care, quality education, among others.

FKE representative, Mr Eric Munyoki emphasized the first part of the first thematic area of CoP, innovation. He noted that innovation is crucial for private sector growth as it creates new employment opportunities in different industries and in newly created markets. Nevertheless, innovation may reduce labour demand and lead to unemployment. It also triggers a number of automatic market adjustments that in the end tend to compensate for the direct decrease in labour demand.

His status notes formed a basis for the first plenary session on Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The panel included; Ms Sheena Raikundalia, Country Director, UK-Kenya Tech Hub; Ms Rosemary Gatahi, Innovation lead, World Food Programme (WFP); Ms Josephine Ndambuki, Chief Manager, Business Development and Innovation, Konza Technoplois Development Authority (KoTDA), Ms Esther Mkamori, Program Director, United Disabled Persons of Kenya; and was moderated by Ms Frida Mwangi of IWorkers. The panel discussed emerging trends, technologies and sectors that present opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation in the digital economy, such as incubators, accelerators, and networking platforms. An analysis of the digital skills required and the existing skills gap. Some initiatives for upskilling and reskilling, particularly those targeting marginalized groups such as refugees were also discussed.

The second panel focused on: Nurturing Digital Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in the Digital Economy. The panel moderated by Dr Ehud Gachugu, Project Director, Ajira Digital Project at KEPSA, included; Ms Lilian Njuguna, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, Mr Teresios Bundi, Gig and Data Economy Advisor at GIZ, Ms Lynette Kinyua, Online Freelancer and Ms Mercy Mugure, CEO, Adept Technologies. The topic examined the contribution of entrepreneurship and digital innovation to job growth, such as the creation of new business and start-ups, freelancing initiatives among others. The experts identified the factors that enable or discourage job creation in the digital economy in Kenya, including; regulations, investment, and taxation and explored potential solutions for creating a conducive business environment