Effect of Kenya Public Service Internship Program (PSIP) on Employment of Young Women in Kenya.

Abstract

Research has shown that internship programs empower youth by offering them practical and
employability skills, enhancing their chances of obtaining meaningful employment after
demonstrating work readiness. In Kenya, the Public Service Commission acknowledges the need
for graduates to engage in internships and introduced a graduate internship program. However,
data shows that most graduates from colleges and universities in Kenya do not undertake internship
programs or practicums due to the unavailability of opportunities. At the same time, there is a
concern over the value and relevance of the skills that young men and women possess and wish to
bring to the workforce. This study evaluated Kenya’s Public Service Internship Program, which
was launched in 2016, and assessed its effect on young women and men's career progression,
income and employment from a gender perspective. According to employment data, women are
adversely impacted; female employment participation in the job market is 29.5% compared to their
male counterparts at 36%. By the time the study commenced, empirical data in Kenya was lacking
to show the impact of the PSIP program on women’s economic empowerment, which was what
this study envisaged to establish. The study was grounded on the Social Relations Framework for
Gender Analysis. This framework was used alongside the Theory of Change to generate
knowledge on the programme's effectiveness. The study used both primary and secondary data,
and descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to understand the data. A cross-sectional
research design was adopted. Data collection instruments included questionnaires, interview
schedules and focus group discussions. The study sample comprised a group of 69 young women
and 70 men who were exposed to work readiness programs and another group who were not. The
snowballing method was used to reach out to the targeted respondents. The data was collected
from three counties in Kenya, namely Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. Quantitative data was
analysed using STATA, while qualitative data was analysed thematically. Although the study
revealed a positive correlation between participation in the program and employment, career
progression and income, unemployment still remains a major challenge in Kenya. Young men had
a better probability of being employed compared to young women. It also emerged that there is a
mismatch between areas of specialisation and placement. Despite the unemployment challenges,
the programs should be upscaled and include profit and non-profit agencies to accommodate more
beneficiaries. Additionally, the program needs to build their entrepreneurial capacities and provide
resource support. Learning institutions should encourage students to be job creators instead of job
seekers.