Harnessing the Power of East Africa’s Youth: Skills and Employment for the Next Generation

Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EAT

Location: Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya

Please join us for a half day event, featuring a roundtable of business, education and government leaders; followed by a lunch with global youth ambassadors and regional partners, and breakout sessions on tangible projects for collaboration and action.

Agenda

8:30 AM – 8:55 AM	Arrival and Registration
9:00 AM – 9:05 AM	Welcome and Introduction Terryanne Chebet, Pink Foundry Africa Bonney Tunya, Innovate UK Business Connect
9:05 AM – 9:10 AM	Context Setting Justin van Fleet, CEO, GBC-Education
9:10 AM – 9:20 AM	Opening Remarks Eng. John Tanui, Principal Secretary, Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy, Government of Kenya
9:20 AM – 9:50 AM	Session 1: Defining the need for youth skills programs in the region What are the most significant challenges and opportunities specific to the youth skills and employability crisis in the region? This session will outline key challenges and identify relevant stakeholders. Challenges may relate to the education system, outdated curricula, lack of practical experience, and limited business involvement. The moderators will also help map out the key stakeholders including government, business, business associations, start-ups, NGOs etc. Nissi Madu, Managing Partner, CcHUB/iHUB Dr. Erick Rutto, Vice President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Eng. John Tanui, Principal Secretary, Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy, Government of Kenya
9:50 AM – 10:20 AM	Session 2: Opportunities and programs making an impact This session will examine programs that are overcoming the challenges outlined previously, looking at how corporations, SMEs, nonprofits and governments utilize creative models for supporting youth. Panelists will share innovative practices and projects and discussion will focus on how these can be scaled up or replicated in other regions. Dr. Bright Gameli, Founder, Africahackon Ngugi Karega, Co-Founder, Skizaa AI Mumbi Ndung’u, Executive Director and Co-Founder Power Learn Project
10:20 AM – 10:30 AM	Tea/Coffee Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM	Activation Session and discussion This action-oriented session will invite all participants to share ideas, programs and projects which the business community can support, amplify and expand to address the youth skills challenge in the region. Using examples previously shared as a starting point, and inviting youth representatives to add their perspectives, moderators will guide the discussion towards actionable next steps and an action plan for continued collaboration.
11:45 AM – 11:55 AM	Commitment to Action & Next Steps
11:55 AM – 12:00 PM	Closing Remarks Justin van Fleet, CEO, GBC-Education
12:00 PM	Event concludes
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM	Optional Lunch & Networking
6:00 PM	Evening Reception – please RSVP

About The Global Business Coalition for Education

The Global Business Coalition is a movement of businesses dedicated to ending the global education crisis. We leverage the collective power of business, government, international organizations, NGOs, youth, and other stakeholders to work towards the Sustainable Development Goal of free, equitable, and inclusive quality education for all. Every company has something to contribute to ending the global education crisis, from technical expertise and in-kind resources to public advocacy and internal policy decisions, the private sector can serve as a true partner to donor governments and partner countries alike.  