Green Careers Caravan Launched to Empower Kenyan Youth
statistics show that nearly 12 percent of the 15- to 24-year-old youths are unemployed and more than 31 percent of the 10 million youths in the labor market
Representing the government at the launch, Consolata Alawo from the State Department of Higher Education and Research reiterated the importance of climate education in schools. Photo/ Courtesy
By Juliet Jerotich
Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA) formally initiated the Green Careers Caravan (GCC), a top-level program designed to equip Kenya’s youth for employment in the green economy of the future. This was facilitated by a consortium established in collaboration with fifteen universities under the Vice-Chancellors’ Committee of Public Universities in Kenya in association with the State Department of Higher Education and Research. Caravan was inaugurated at Kisii University, with the future locations set for Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Taita Taveta University, and Embu University in 2025, before the expansion to eleven more institutions in the first half of 2026.
The program is at a critical moment when Kenya is grappling with one of its biggest challenges—youth unemployment. Today, statistics show that nearly 12 percent of the 15- to 24-year-old youths are unemployed and more than 31 percent of the 10 million youths in the labor market are under or unemployed. Every year, the issue is compounded as more than one million youths enter the labor market with poor skills and contacts to secure quality jobs.
Meanwhile, the world’s shift toward sustainability and climate resilience is revolutionizing other industries beyond anyone’s imagination. This change is opening up new possibilities that can remake work in the future. In Africa alone, the green economy can generate at least 3.3 million jobs by 2030 in sectors such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, sustainable agriculture, building and construction, and manufacturing. By aligning youth skills with these emerging industries, Kenya has a lot to benefit from this transformation.
JLA Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sellah Bogonko encapsulated the day as a turning point in the lives of young people in Africa. She emphasized that demographic potential needs to be coupled with education, empowerment, ethics, and entrepreneurship for change to happen. She called on young people to come forward as innovators and leaders who will convert the prospects of Africa into global success stories.
Representing the government at the launch, Consolata Alawo from the State Department of Higher Education and Research reiterated the importance of climate education in schools. She further noted that by incorporating sustainability into education, Kenya can develop a problem-solving generation that is well equipped to respond to climate changes and also lead the way in environmental stewardship. Using the example of Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, she reminded the public that sustainable environmental conservation begins with empowered communities that know the value of their resources.
Over the next five years, Green Careers Caravan anticipates its activities reaching 42 public universities in Kenya and one new African region annually. It anticipates delivering at least 150 activations, directly impacting more than 150,000 students, and having a digital reach of over 5 million impressions through media campaigns and podcasting.
Kenya already possesses a sound policy basis for the green transformation in the form of, among others, the ILO Green Jobs Programme and national plans linked to Vision 2030. GCC seeks to capitalize on these by targeting the youth specifically and equipping them with capabilities to enter the changing labor market.
Jacob’s Ladder Africa is now reaching out to private sector leaders, mentors, and development partners to help build the programme through provision of internships, apprenticeships, technical assistance, and entrepreneurship training. Through collaboration, the Caravan aims to not only prepare Kenya’s youth for the green economy but also lead Africa’s transition to sustainable development more broadly.
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