According to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), 30 percent of the Kenyan workforce has inadequate skills, a situation that is negatively affecting the country.
In order to solve the skills challenge, the report says companies should use automation to boost productivity and efficiency.
Interestingly, the economy is creating less than two hundred thousand formal jobs annually while over five hundred thousand Kenyans are entering the job market each year. As a result, unemployment in the country is a huge challenge with nearly 40 percent of qualified Kenyans remaining jobless.
In 2017, the economy created 800,000 jobs, most of which were in the jua kali sector while the economy grew by 4.8 percent.
The report also shows that 3 out of 10 Kenyans lack the required skills thereby reducing productivity and increasing the cost of doing business in the country. Additionally, the report says that most African markets are struggling with employees who have inadequate skills.
WEF recommends automation and innovation as possible solutions for the underskilled and unskilled labour pool. Moreover, the report states that 5 out of 10 Kenyan jobs should be carried out by machines. However, the report emphasises the need to employ automation with caution to avoid disrupting the labour force.
