n Kenya a quiet but important transformation is taking place in the agrifood sector as young people begin to engage with farming in more modern and innovative ways, in Kirinyaga a young farmer is returning to family land and applying new ideas to increase productivity, in Nakuru youth are using mobile based tools to manage poultry farming more efficiently, in Kajiado young groups are experimenting with climate smart agriculture to cope with increasing drought conditions, these examples show that agriculture is no longer only traditional but is becoming more digital, more data driven and more business focused.
Despite this shift many young people are still entering vocational training systems that do not fully reflect these changes, they are often taught using outdated methods that do not include digital agriculture, climate adaptation or agribusiness skills that are now essential in the sector, as a result there is a growing mismatch between what young people learn and what employers in agriculture actually need.
At the same time the agrifood sector itself is evolving quickly, farmers are using mobile phones to access weather forecasts, adopting irrigation systems to conserve water and applying modern techniques to improve yields and efficiency, agriculture is becoming more of a knowledge based and technology supported industry rather than only manual labour.
This shift has created a strong need to rethink vocational training so that it is more closely connected to real industry practice, young people need more practical learning opportunities, exposure to real farms and agribusiness environments and training that reflects current market demands, skills in digital agriculture, value addition, agribusiness management and climate smart farming are becoming increasingly important.
When training systems are aligned with industry needs young people are better prepared to find employment, start their own agribusinesses and actively contribute to transforming agriculture into a modern, resilient and opportunity rich sector for Kenya’s future.