The Government has put in place adequate policy frameworks and programs to develop the country’s human capital in an effort to enhance productivity.
Labor Cabinet Secretary Mr Simon Chelugui said the government was implementing a number of programs that are geared towards skilling, upskilling and reskilling employees through the National Industrial Training Authority.
Speaking in Naivasha during the Agricultural Employer’s Association Conference, Chelugui said the Labor Ministry collects and manages industrial training levy and appealed to all employers to make use of the fund, to empower their employees.
While emphasizing the need to promote job placement, both locally and abroad, the CS said the government through National Employment Authority (NEA) had established employment promotions centers at the county level and encouraged all employers to advertise for available vacancies through NEA online portal, so as to attract job seekers from all corners of the country.
The CS at the same time said the government has put in place legislation to support the productivity agenda, including the National Productivity Policy (Sessional paper No. 3 of 2013) and the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council Bill.
Chelugui said that the Bills have been validated by all stakeholders and is now at the drafting stage, noting that for any business to grow and succeed in the current highly dynamic and competitive corporate climate, there was the need to embrace innovation, re-invention and productivity.
The CS added that the Ministry through the National Productivity and Competitiveness Center (NPCC), was offering support to the business sector, so that they could grow and remain competitive by implementing various improvement initiatives.
He cited one of the greatest management guru, Peter Drucker, who said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” and “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.’’
Chelugui said his Ministry had developed a productivity measurement framework that will guide productivity measurement in the country.
“I invite you all to partner with my Ministry, through the Productivity and Competitiveness Centre, to help you develop various metrics, which you can use to monitor your performance and improve your firm’s productivity,” he advised.
Chelugui recognized that sustainable Agriculture and Tourism in the country was a major engine for job creation and a driving force for economic growth and development.
The CS added that the Government was continually putting in place measures to ensure that the growth and development of these sectors is sustainable, socially responsible and creates decent work opportunities.
Due to the importance of the agriculture sector, the CS was happy that the government through National Productivity and Competitiveness Centre (NPCC) had developed products to support employers in the sector to strengthen the foundations of their organization, by implementing Continuous Improvement (KAIZEN) practices.
On new technology, the CS said the introduction of digital solutions in agriculture, could help improve productivity, adding that through the new digital trends, farmers could assess crop health, spot bacterial or crops fungal infections, get information on soil analysis among others.
Chelugui noted that through the rise of new technology and the penetration of mobile grid coverage to rural areas, the digital solutions could help farmers change their farming practices to get more yield, while at the same time linking them to larger supply chains.
According to the 2021 Economic Survey, the Agricultural Sector directly employed over 400,000 workers in wage employment, with the Survey also revealing that more than 40 per cent of the total workforce and more than 70 percent of Kenya’s rural population are employed in the sector.
Source: Kenya News Agency