Consultancy –Mentorship Expert

We are searching for an experienced Consultancy –Mentorship Expert at our Kenya facility. You are eligible for this position if you have demonstrated experience mentorship primarily in textile and apparel sectors. Please note that Only applicants who are residents in Kenya will be considered.

CFYE Overview:

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 7-year and €134 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 230,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and Horn of Africa regions. The Fund will be supporting initiatives in 12 focus countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.
The portfolio of projects is selected from business cases that were proposed by private sector, civil society and knowledge institutions. Each business case has outlined scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income generating opportunities for youth. Solutions in particular focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply side (skills) and bridging the mismatch between these two in the labour market.

About Generation Kenya:

Generation is a global non-profit that transforms education to employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible. Since launching in 2015, globally, we have graduated 119,000+ learners from Generation programs in 359 cities across 18 countries.
We offer over 47 professional programs in technology, healthcare, customer service, and skilled trades. Our graduates work with 16,000+ employer partners, and our programs are delivered through a network of 90+ implementation partners. Globally, our job placement rate is 74% within 3 months and increases to 84% in 6 Months. In Kenya, in 9 years, Generation Kenya has graduated 30,900+ young people (58% female) youth aged between 18-35 years from the 8 programs we have developed in collaboration with 350+ employer partners. We have placed 85% of our program graduates within 3 months after graduation, which increases to 89% after 6 months with these employer partners. This is about three times the industry average. 88% of our graduates were unemployed before joining Generation Kenya, meaning this was their first opportunity to access meaningful work. Our youth beneficiaries receive training in one of the three sectors: Customer Service & Sales, Tech, and Textile & Apparel Manufacturing. We have partnered with public and private TVETs distributed across 31 counties to train young people.
Driven by our vision of delivering “a meaningful career and sustained well-being for every person anywhere in the world” and our mission of transforming education to employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible”, we aim to address the skills gap that hinders growth in the formal sector in Kenya.

Assignment Overview:

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) in partnership with Generation Kenya are implementing a project that is looking at delivering high-quality training to 5000 youth (50% women), match 4000 youth to jobs as digital customer success agents and in manufacturing with GPK’s 350+ employer partners
and Provide graduates with mentorship and support through our alumni network.
Generation Kenya has designed a mentorship program to support textile and apparel workers in their personal and professional development. The program aims to enhance industry-specific knowledge, promote socio-emotional well-being, foster financial literacy, develop essential workplace soft skills, and support long-term career growth and work-life balance. By equipping workers with a comprehensive understanding of the textile and apparel industry, we ensure better workplace integration and performance. Addressing socio-emotional needs such as mental health, childcare, and substance abuse, we aim to improve workers' overall well-being, confidence, and job commitment. The mentorship also focuses on financial literacy, teaching workers vital skills in credit management, savings, and payroll understanding to achieve financial stability and reduce stress. Enhancing communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills through soft skills training will contribute to a more effective and harmonious workplace. Additionally, we aim to guide mentees in career planning and managing work-life balance, helping them make informed decisions for long-term professional success while maintaining personal well-being. The Young Employee Network (YEN), a self-organizing subgroup of seven employees, will support the entire program, including youth voices, and create a safe space for peer mentorship.
However, while the mentorship program has been designed there exists several gaps that necessitates additional technical support to ensure that the approach is scalable and sustainable. Some of the key challenges identified include:

 1. Youth workers in the textile and apparel workers work in tight schedules which makes their availability to attend mentorship sessions a significant challenge. Generation Kenya is looking for innovative ways to offer mentorship despite the limited time available for young people
2. The mentorship approach developed needs to be scalable with the goal of reaching a critical mass of young people in a cost-effective manner.  The current approach needs to be iterated further to build a model that is scalable and sustainable
3. While Generation Kenya trains youth based on jobs that are already committed by employer partners, at times youth who are recruited and trained are not absorbed to the jobs available due to a variety of reasons. Generation Kenya would also like to design a mentorship approach for such young people on how they can transition to other income generating activities.

With the above challenges, CFYE in partnership with Generation Kenya are looking for a mentorship expert to support Generation Kenya iterate their mentorship approach in a way that it addresses both short-term and long-term objectives. The Mentorship Expert  will work closely with Generation Kenya to identify the best mentorship structure for the Sewing Machine Operator (SMO) program, which trains youth aged 18-35 in Mombasa and Kilifi counties. The Expert will help conduct a deep mentorship needs assessment and propose a sustainable mentorship structure (model) through thorough consultations and program analysis.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Program Support:
- Researching and assessing the existing mentorship structures for SMO graduates, focusing on addressing the existing gaps and the young people’s challenges.
- Gather feedback from graduates, mentors, and stakeholders (factories, supervisors in EPZs) to understand the current mentorship system and identify areas for improvement.
- Conduct research to identify the specific areas where young people in the program require mentorship, such as career development, workplace challenges, social support, and skill enhancement.
- Design tailored mentorship interventions to fill the identified gaps, ensuring the program aligns with the specific needs of SMO graduates.
- Recommend strategies for improving mentor training and development, ensuring mentors are equipped to address the diverse challenges faced by young people.

Stakeholder Consultations:

- Engage with graduates, mentors, and EPZ employers to gather insights on areas of mentorship need and to identify practical solutions that fit into their work schedules.
- Collaborate closely with the Generation Kenya team to ensure program goals align and discuss findings and insights for potential mentorship structures.

Mentorship Model and Needs Assessment:

- Support the development of a flexible, practical mentorship model based on consultation findings.
- Focus on designing mentorship models that fit within the time constraints of SMO graduates, potentially including in-person group mentoring or peer-to-peer networks, etc.

Reporting and Recommendations:

- Prepare reports summarizing findings and proposing mentorship models, including recommendations on areas of mentorship focus.
- Develop an implementation plan for the proposed mentorship model, ensuring it addresses both time constraints and the mentorship needs of the youth.

Required Qualifications:

- Diploma or degree in textile technology, social sciences, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience or knowledge in the textile and apparel industry, especially with Export Processing Zones (EPZs) or similar sectors.
- Ability to conduct research, consultations, and data analysis.
- Strong communication and organizational skills to work with a diverse group of stakeholders.
- Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships across teams and organizations.

Core Competencies:

- Understanding the challenges young people face in workforce programs, particularly those in the textile and apparel industry.
- Experience working in mentorship programs or supporting youth development initiatives.
- Experience in researching workforce development.
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Strong communication skills – an ability to clearly communicate (both written and oral) complex results to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities effectively and efficiently often within a required timeframe.
- Basic knowledge in office suit (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)

Level of Effort and Reporting:

- Up to 25 days over a period of 6 months.

How to Apply:

Apply on the website by sending a cover letter explaining how you match the role. Attach your CV which should not be more than 5 pages.

Deadline: 14 February 2025.

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.