Philip Thigo

Executive Director for Africa, Thunderbird School of Global Management

“We need to rethink and develop agile policy and governance in the era of uncertainty. Policy-making is no longer the role of government alone. Government should create an enabling environment with soft legislation that does not discourage innovation.’

Mr. Stewart Samkange

Higher Education Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, & Southeast Europe Leader, LinkedIn

48 million students are active on the platform which is a double growth since 2020. These students come to view and apply for jobs in a ratio of 1: 3. It is important to follow the organizations where you are looking for jobs to see their impact and the skills they are looking for. Further, research the professionals working for the organizations. Most importantly, join LinkedIn to learn. Up to 62 million people visit the platform weekly, with 8 people hired every minute.

Ms. Lilian Ngala

Human Resource Director, Diamond Trust Bank

“Graduates and students need to have the ability to interact, acquire soft skills, and take advantage of
opportunities available. To facilitate this the Diamond Trust Bank offers students stimulating platforms to hon their skills…From this summit we will offer 100 students an opportunity in our Job Shadowing Program in January 2024.”

Amb. Dr. Christian Fellner,

Austrian Ambassador to Kenya

“Africa is becoming the greatest labour supplier of the 21st century. In Austria for instance, 20% of the population is an aging population as opposed to Kenya where only 2.9% are above 65 years. We therefore need people to work in different sectors back in Austria for example nurses in the Health Sector. However, these people must have technical skills and requisite qualifications.

Dr. Kipkirui Langat

Director General, Technical and Vocational Education Training Authority (TVETA)

“Everyone wants to go to the university, but where are the jobs? We need career services to redirect interest. Our statistics show that for every university student, we need five learners in TVET institutions. The reason is that the world job market is in dire need of technical skills. The 17% unemployment rate in Kenya is a result of our failure to redirect careers. Therefore, we need to identify career paths and opportunities that are likely to bring employment.”

Hon. Ezekiel Machogu, CBS,

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education

“The wide gap in employability skills is still a great concern. While ten years ago, the deficiency among fresh graduates stood at an adverse of 50+ per cent, the situation is yet to be contained on an absolute scale. Industry feedback still points to a mismatch between the levels of work readiness among young job seekers and employer demands. There is more to be done! Not just by academia but all sectors combined. The challenge transcends beyond education.”

Ms. Doroba Hendrina Chalwe,

Division Manager, Education, and Skills Development at the African Development Ban

“There is an urgent need for young people to acquire the right skills to support development. The bank
(AfDB) works with governments and the private sector and has developed an action plan for skills for
employability. Further, the AfDB has made a strategic decision to support regional members in the area of
Technical, Vocational and Higher Education. Our goal is to support skills development in Africa.”