Govt Bags Deal With Trace To Offer Free Courses To Young Kenyans

The government on Thursday, December 15 secured a partnership deal with Trace East Africa to tackle youth unemployment in Kenya.

Viral 'Riggy G' content creator Ivy Chelimo was part of the team attached to the Office of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua alongside the Ministry of Youth Affairs Sports and Arts led by CS Ababu Namwamba as well as Principal Secretaries (PS) Ismail Madey and Jonathan Mueke.

Trace East Africa was represented by Managing Director (MD) Danny Mucira and Head of Business development Magdalene Waweru during the high-level meeting that focused on bridging the youth employment gap in Kenya. 

Ivy Chelimo (centre) alongside officials from DP Gachagua's office with Sports CS Ababu Namwamba and officials from his Ministry meet Trace East Africa representatives on December 15, 2022. /COURTESY

The meeting focused on securing a partnership between the government and Trace Academy that will enable young people to train through the application and increase their employability in the formal and informal sectors.

All courses on the online learning application offer a certificate upon completion, and with this partnership, these certificates will be accredited and will help increase skill level and absorption into the mainstream economy. 

The free-to-use, interactive, mobile-based learning application that was launched in April 2022 aims to enable 26 million young Africans to acquire on-demand, market-relevant skills.

Trace Academia, features course content and features  developed by Trace and a coalition of leading corporations and organizations  namely Mastercard Foundation, Google, L’Oréal Foundation, AFD, UNESCO, Orange, Canal +, SACEM, Visa, Schneider Electric, Durex and Leroy Merlin,

Others include Bureau Veritas, Ford Foundation, Afreximbank, Accor-Kasada, The Minister of Finance of  France, the African Union, the University of Johannesburg, Senghor University, Valued Citizens, TPG, Satya Capital, Trace, BDD Software, Bain&Co, Havas, and many others. 

The learning content includes technical courses relevant to 15 different  industries including courses in energy, beauty, fashion, DIY, digital marketing, hospitality, creative arts, journalism, film, and technology as well as courses that are more broadly relevant such as entrepreneurship, public speaking, and personal wellness.

Each course featured on the application has been designed in collaboration with an industry-leading organization to ensure its relevance to employers and the job market. 

“Two things are particularly exciting about Trace Academia. One is that the platform offers young people total flexibility and control over their learning. Users can learn at their own pace, in their own time, and customize their journey to the emergent demands they face as they navigate the world of work.

"Second, the courses are deeply practical and designed in collaboration with market-leading organizations to ensure they are industry relevant,” said Mucira.

Danny Mucira representing Trace East Africa on December 15, 2022. /COURTESY