Agriculture is at the heart of the Kenyan economy, food security and livelihoods. However, youth involvement in the sector is constrained by inadequate innovation and skills among graduates. To bridge the skills and competency gap in education, the Government response mechanism has been the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) which focuses on skills attainment. Nonetheless, there is limited absorptive capacity of the sector, weak institutional co-ordination, low employer involvement and poor infrastructure to facilitate integration of the agricultural pathways of CBC with the demand for labour in the market. This study seeks to examine the challenges and opportunities in implementing and scaling CBC agricultural career pathways and the underlying effects on skill acquisition, employment, and youth participation in agricultural entrepreneurship by 2028. The research relies on descriptive statistics, regression models, propensity score matching and multilevel analysis to analyze four policy-relevant areas using learner surveys, competency assessment, policy review and national datasets: (1) effects of CBC participation on agricultural and entrepreneurial competencies; (2) influence of school readiness factors on competency acquisition; (3) policy and institutional support for youth transition into agricultural employment and entrepreneurship; and (4) inequalities in access and outcomes across gender, socio-economic status, and regions. The expected outcome is evidence on whether CBC reforms enhance agricultural skills development and labour market alignment, thereby contributing to SDGs 1, 4, 8, and 10 through improved youth employability, entrepreneurship, and agricultural transformation.
Project leader: Priscilla Njue
Project researchers:
Scientific mentors: Pouirkèta Rita Nikiema
No journal publications.
No working papers.
No policy briefs.
No final reports.
No proposals.
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