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Over 4,500 youth are expected to resume special technical training after a five-months closure owing to the effects of coronavirus disease, the Government has said.

Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Julius Korir said the youths will join 22,000 others who are enrolled in various craftsmen courses under the Sh15 billion funded Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP).

Korir said the move follows a two-week countrywide assessment on preparedeness of institutions that host the youth under the programme, mounted in 17 counties.

The programme empowers youth on technical skills in various craftsmen courses.

“We have established that the youths are ready and eager to resume,” Korir said on Friday.

The PS said the Government will be issuing specific instructions to ensure that resumption of the programme happens in two weeks.

He said all Ministry of Health protocols will be adhered to including social distancing, regular washing of hands and use of face masks.

Those to join the programme have been picked from 180,000 youth who applied for lucrative opportunities for training under the Sh15 billion project.

The youth from 17 targeted counties applied for the latest cycle of opportunities advertised in May under the World-bank funded Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP), just as coronavirus crisis heightened.

Training and internship of the programme was suspended in March due to coronavirus.

The project was at Cycle 4 at the time of suspension sparking a new cycle tailored to prepare youth for survival in the coronavirus regime.

“We are determined to ensure that the youth are placed to start undergoing training to be equipped to earn a living,” Korir explained.

The five-year project that ends next year targets youth between 18- 29 years with Form Four education level and below.

The project is being implemented in Mombasa, Kilifi, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Mandera, Turkana, Wajir, Bungoma, Kakamega, Kwale, Kisumu, Kisii, Machakos, Kitui and Migori.

The project seeks to improve youth employability, support for job creation, improve Labour market information systems and strengthen youth policy development.

So far, 32,124 youths have been trained and gone for internships in both the formal and informal sectors of whom 75 percent are employed.

A further 9,951 business support beneficiaries have received grants of Sh40,000 each while 4,204 youth have received Business Development Services

Under the project, a Business Plan Competition dubbed MbeleNaBiz for high-potential job creators is mounted.

A total of 750 youth-owned enterprises will be financed through MbeleNaBiz programme where 250 beneficiaries will each receive grant capital of Sh3.6 million.

A further 500 beneficiaries will be awarded Sh 900,000 each.

This makes a total cost of Sh1.3 billion with a further 1500 youth who are being trained on preparation of business plans.

KYEOP also has a component which focuses on Labour Market Information (LMI) and responds to problem of obtaining timely information about labor demand and supply as well as career prospects in Kenya.

LMI helps private and public actors in the labor market make decisions and formulate policies to support the development of a one-stop-shop for access to LMI with its survey and administrative data sources.