Vijana Reloaded kicks off with first trainees

Vijana Reloaded is a brand new schooling in western Kenya. The first 12 trainees have started today after a selection procedure.

Unemployment among the young in Kenya’s rural regions is high. They often fall into a vacuum after secondary education. Apart from reading, writing and mathematics, they need more skills to help them find a good job. Social skills, an understanding of marketing and business competencies are now – also in Africa – crucial. And here they often fall short. In an effort to reverse the tide of rural migration to the big cities in search of work, ICS developed Vijana Reloaded along with several partners.

Vijana Reloaded is educating a new generation of ‘change makers’: young people who think in terms of innovative solutions and contribute in some way to the development of their local economy and society. The schooling is geared toward young people who are highly capable and bursting with ambition. Usually they have already obtained a good basic education, but because they lack the specific skills that the local job market is seeking, they simply have not been able to secure a job.

Through a traineeship of six months, young trainees learn how to think innovatively and in terms of solutions. Next to the weekly lessons, they are given real life case studies in collaboration with local businesses. The curriculum is aligned with the current climate, and since existing educational institutions and universities do not offer practical apprenticeships, Vijana Reloaded is a valuable addition. For the future ICS would like to look into adding this curriculum to that of universities, so that opportunities can reach as many Kenyans as possible.