New Skills Training Hubs Set Up for Nairobi Youth

In a push to tackle youth unemployment and equip young people with relevant vocational and digital skills, the Nairobi County Government has launched several new training hubs in partnership with private sector and international agencies. One major initiative sees the county teaming up with the Kenya China Chamber of Commerce to deliver short‑term vocational courses for teens aged 15–18, focused on technical trades and including start‑up tool‑kits upon graduation. Additionally, a tech‑skills hub in Nairobi trained its first cohort of 1,000 youth through a partnership with IBM SkillsBuild in March 2024, covering emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data science and cybersecurity.
These hubs meet growing demand for market‑aligned training as Kenya accelerates its transition to a skills‑based economy. The collaboration with industry is seen in the model launched by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Authority (TVET), which now operates under a new dual‑training policy where students spend time in workplaces as part of structured learning. More than 10,000 youth are already enrolled in the model across various institutions. Meanwhile, digital hubs are proliferating: the Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) confirmed that free access hubs will train youth in digital platforms, enabling remote work and online entrepreneurship.
Youth advocates and industry stakeholders have welcomed the development, viewing it as a timely response to high youth unemployment in Nairobi and across Kenya. Graduates of the first IBM SkillsBuild cohort expressed optimism, saying they feel better positioned to secure internships or start micro‑enterprises. Families in informal‑settlement areas also noted the importance of affordable skills training in bridging the gap to job opportunities outside formal education. Yet observers caution that success will depend on sustained funding, quality assurance and ensuring that hubs reach vulnerable and under‑represented youth. The future outlook looks promising: the county plans to expand the training hub network with targeted outreach, certification programmes through NITA and stronger links to industry placement. If scaled equitably, these hubs could significantly reshape Nairobi’s youth employment landscape.