ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF SELECTED GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES TOWARDS YOUTH SELF-EMPLOYMENT: CASE OF YOUTH GROUPS IN NAIVASHA SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

ABSTRACT In Kenya, the economic growth rate has not been sufficient to create enough employment opportunities to absorb the ever increasing labour force of about five hundred thousand (500,000) people annually. About seventy five percent (75%) of youth are unemployed. The Human Capital theory asserts that more education brings more earnings or better employment. Yet youth unemployment has been growing despite the government spending more than three hundred billion shillings annually on employment creation initiatives. Empirical studies of government employment initiatives with a focus on youth groups’ selfemployment in Naivasha Sub-County have not been done. This study intended to assess selected Kenyan government strategies towards youth self employment in Naivasha SubCounty. The objectives of this study included; to examine the influence of school curriculum on self employment initiatives among the youth in Naivasha Sub-County, determine the influence of vocational training on self employment initiatives among the youth and determine the influence of youth funds availability on self employment initiatives among the youth . The study used a descriptive research involving survey method. The study used both primary data and secondary. The study population consisted of all the one hundred licensed youth groups with businesses in Naivasha Sub-County, Nakuru County. Stratified sampling technique was used to determine the sample size while simple random sampling was used to select the sample from the stratified data. Based on the population size, a sample size of eighty groups was selected by using the Sample size table. Data was collected using questionnaires. A pilot study was done to ensure reliability and validity of research instruments. The data was analysed using regression. The results were presented in graphs, charts, tables and figures. The P value for school curriculum variable was 0.065, the P value for vocational training variable was 0.055, the P value for youth enterprise funds variable was 0.054, therefore the selected variable have significant influence on self employment initiatives. The study concluded that selected government strategies to enhance selfemployment have to a large extent contributed towards self employment initiatives. This study will assist the government to come with new strategies to alleviate youth unemployment problem and form a basis of future research on other government strategies to alleviate youth unemployment.