The US will train Kenyans for employment in the textile industry. This is the arrangement between Hub and Generation Program Kenya. Seven fully equipped training centers will be put up in the country. About 4,000 youngsters will be screened for participation after which 2000 of them will be trained and employed to help address the skills gap that currently hinders growth in the sector. The goal of the pilot is to create a sustainable and replicable model for apparel sector skills development throughout East Africa.

East Africa is establishing itself as a key sourcing destination for buyers of global apparel, footwear and travel goods. Recently, renewed to 2025, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a major incentive which provides up to 35 per cent in duty savings for eligible countries exporting to the US. This new initiative will further cement partnerships between the US and East African businesses.

Not only does this private sector approach directly link trained at-risk youth to jobs, the leadership from Kenya’s ministry of industry, trade and cooperatives makes the model sustainable. Launched in 2015, Generation Kenya has so far successfully graduated 4400 trainees from among disadvantaged youth, placing them in the fast moving consumer goods distribution, retail, financial services and hospitality industries.