Kenya Youth Employment and Skills Program (K-YES) Annual Report 2018-2019

The program began in October 2018 and concluded in September 2019. The program's primary objective is to increase the employability and entrepreneurship skills of Kenyan youth, with a focus on those aged 18-30. The program's implementation focused on four key objectives: accelerated vocational training systems transformation, increased enterprise development and access to finance, increased employment opportunities for youth in agribusiness, and partnership and sustainability. To achieve these objectives, the program implemented various activities, including support for vocational training colleges, business skills training, mentorship, and linkage with financial institutions. One of the key activities under the program was the provision of grants to vocational training colleges to support capacity building and the implementation of competency-based education and training (CBET) curricula. The program also rolled out CBET curricula and supported the delivery of CBET by vocational training colleges. Additionally, the program provided training-to-employment transition support for vocational training college graduates and linked them with ongoing national reforms to vocational training colleges and the K-YES compact. The program also focused on increasing enterprise development and access to finance for youth. This was achieved through the mobilization and recruitment of youth, including those with disabilities, and the provision of business skills training, mentorship, and linkage with financial institutions. The program also supported the development of youth financial linkages and access to finance, as well as the institutional capacity building of financial institutions and service providers. In terms of employment opportunities, the program focused on increasing employment opportunities for youth in agribusiness. This was achieved through the growth of existing producers in the supply chain and the provision of trainings based on private sector needs and access to services, such as access to finance and markets. The program also placed a strong emphasis on partnership and sustainability. This was achieved through the structuring and implementation of county-level partnerships and national-level partnerships. The program also built the capacity of community-based facilitators (CBFs) project leadership and trainers, and rolled out social and leadership skills training to youth. In terms of lessons learned, the program faced several constraints, including limited capacity of vocational training colleges and financial institutions, as well as limited access to finance for youth. However, the program also identified several opportunities, including the potential for increased employment opportunities in agribusiness and the potential for increased access to finance for youth. The program's performance monitoring and evaluation framework was designed to track progress against the program's objectives and indicators. The framework included regular monitoring and evaluation of program activities, as well as the collection and analysis of data on program outcomes. In terms of environmental mitigation and monitoring, the program implemented several measures to minimize its environmental impact, including the use of environmentally friendly materials and the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices. The program's progress on gender strategy was significant, with a focus on increasing the participation of women and girls in vocational training and entrepreneurship. The program also made progress on links to other USAID programs, including the Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprise Development (KAVC) program. The program's progress on links with government was also significant, with a focus on strengthening partnerships with government agencies and institutions. The program also made progress on USAID's going forward strategy, including the development of a sustainability and exit strategy. Overall, the K-YES program made significant progress in improving the employability and entrepreneurship skills of Kenyan youth, with a focus on those aged 18-30. The program's implementation focused on four key objectives, including accelerated vocational training systems transformation, increased enterprise development and access to finance, increased employment opportunities for youth in agribusiness, and partnership and sustainability.