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Firm develops new App that links job-seekers to potential employers.

Jipee Ajira founder Oscar Awiti at his Nairobi office on June 4, 2018. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG 
Non-profit start-up Jipee Ajira has developed a mobile application that will create a link bridging job-seekers, consumers, the government and private sector employers.
The mobile app, created by professionals from different fields and which runs on both Android and iOS operating systems, enables users to identify existing skills and professional services available in a particular area.
The Jipee Ajira app, with geo-tagging capabilities, has created a database containing information on the skills and training of different users which can be accessed by private employers, the government and individuals who might be looking for a service such as plumbing, car repair among others.
“This app digitalises information on available skills across the country for employers and the government besides providing a direct contact between service providers and consumers,” says Oscar Awiti, a security specialist and part the team that has put up the platform.
Users provide information on their professional skills and the information is used to create a geographical database of available skill sets in an area.
This information, available to all users, can reveal the training that people in a particular area have, making it easy for individuals, employers, and the government to identify available skills.
“In China, it is easy for the government to identify skills and existing gaps in the workforce, but here in Kenya there is no database or platform that can provide such information,” says Samuel Amenya, a member of the Jipee Ajira team and a fintech specialist.
The app targets majorly people in the informal sector who have training in areas such as plumbing, carpentry, painting, and gardening.
According to the group of four, there are many young people who are well trained in different areas but are unable to get meaningful employment.
The government and the private sector do not have specific statistics of available skills, which makes decision making difficult. The app can get them noticed, the team says.
“Young people who are well trained in different vocational areas miss opportunities and some find themselves in the criminal world. We are trying to make this groups productive,” says Mr Awiti.
With slightly over a thousand downloads already, the group says that it hopes to register more users and get partners who will not necessarily employ the young people but enable them to be productive.
“We are looking to bridge the link between people with vocational training and institutions that can build their skills and consumers who can buy their services,” says Benson Nyagu, a brand design consultant who is part of the team.
With about 40 per cent of young people unemployed, according to a 2016 World Bank report, the team hopes that the application will be used by different stakeholders to fix the jobless problem, keep young people out of crime and provide a direct link with the government, service providers, employers and consumers.
(Source: Business Daily)

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