The world of work is changing at a pace that is forcing both young people and employers to rethink what it means to be ready for a career.
Across East Africa, artificial intelligence, automation and wider digital transformation are reshaping jobs and changing the skills businesses expect from new employees. For young people preparing to enter the labour market, academic qualifications remain important, but they are increasingly only one part of the equation.
The scale of the challenge in Kenya is well documented. The Federation of Kenya Employers has put youth unemployment as high as 67 percent among 15 to 34 year olds, a group that makes up 35 percent of the population, with more than a million young people entering the labour market each year without workplace skills. A continental outlook published in 2026 found young women face the steepest exclusion, making up 61 percent of youth who are not in employment, education or training, according to the Africa Youth Employment Outlook.
Employers Now Want Proof, Not Just Paper
“We are seeing a shift towards demonstrated capability. Qualifications remain important, but employers also want to see how young people can apply what they have learned, whether through practical projects, portfolios, internships or other forms of workplace exposure,” says Sarah Ngetha, Director of Career Services at Moringa.
“The challenge for young people entering the job market is getting opportunities to build and demonstrate that experience.”
Internships, apprenticeships, mentorship and work integrated learning are among the ways young people can gain exposure to real workplace environments. Beyond providing experience for a CV, these opportunities can help young people understand how their skills translate into the workplace and where they may need to develop further.
This is not a new idea in Kenya, but it has gained new urgency. The Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project, and its successor NYOTA, have leaned on the same principle at national scale, pairing training with grants and internships for over 155,000 young people, helping launch 86,000 businesses and create 125,000 jobs, on the reasoning that a certificate alone rarely convinces an employer to take a chance on a first time hire.
Where AI Fits Into Career Preparation
Technology is adding another dimension to that transition. As AI becomes embedded across industries, Sarah says preparing for the future of work is not simply about mastering the latest digital tools.
“AI is already changing how tasks are performed across industries, but it is about more than learning how to use the latest tools. Young people need to understand how technology can complement their skills while continuing to build capabilities that remain relevant as tools and roles evolve,” she said.
That framing matches what other employers in the region have said publicly about their own hiring pipelines. According to Kenya’s digital talent program, Safaricom’s Industry Digital Talent Program brought together more than 30 partners, including six universities, training providers and tech hubs, to upskill participants in the digital competencies employers said were already in short supply, rather than treating a single course or certificate as the finish line.
Careers Are No Longer a Straight Line
That ability to keep learning could become increasingly important as careers themselves become less linear. Where education was once viewed largely as a stage before employment, workers today may have to learn, retrain and acquire new capabilities several times over the course of their careers.
“Continuous learning is becoming an essential career skill. Young people are preparing not just for their first job, but for careers that may change direction several times.”
That shift is already visible in how young Kenyans are earning a living. An analysis of Kenya’s gig economy found roughly 90 percent of the 782,300 new jobs created in Kenya in 2024 came from the informal sector, and platform based gig work has grown into a sector generating an estimated one billion dollars a year in the country, employing around 1.5 million people who often move between gig work and other forms of employment rather than following one continuous career path.
Human Skills Still Matter
Technical knowledge, however, is only one side of the equation. As workplaces evolve, human skills can be just as important in helping young people navigate change.
“Communication, problem solving, collaboration, curiosity and adaptability all matter alongside technical ability,” says Sarah. “Technology will continue to change how we work, so being able to adapt and apply your skills in different situations is increasingly important.”
Closing the Gap Between Classroom and Career
Preparing young people for this changing environment also extends beyond what happens in the classroom. Connections between education and industry, together with internships, apprenticeships, graduate programmes and other forms of workplace exposure, are helping young people bridge the gap between learning and employment.
Kenya’s government has been trying to close that same gap from the vocational training side. According to the textile and apparel skills program, technical and vocational institutions in Nairobi and Mombasa restructured their curriculum around six to eight month blocks aimed at faster, more direct entry into the workforce, a response to employers who said graduates were leaving college without the specific skills local industries needed.
Preparing for Jobs That Do Not Exist Yet
For Sarah, the bigger question is how young people can be prepared for a labour market whose opportunities will continue to evolve.
“We cannot only prepare young people for the jobs that exist today. The focus has to be on giving them practical experience, adaptable skills and a mindset of continuous learning so they are able to respond to new roles and industries as they emerge.”
With Africa’s youth population continuing to grow through the 2070s even as most other regions see theirs shrink, that question will only become more pressing for employers, educators and policymakers across the region. The Mastercard Foundation’s Africa Youth Employment Outlook 2026 puts the continent’s youth population at around 532 million people aged 15 to 35, more than 22 percent of a cohort that will shape global labour in the coming decades.
Sarah Ngetha is the Director of Career Services, Moringa
