Chinese firm offers 5,000 opportunities to Kenyans through job fair

NAIROBI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A three-day job fair organized by Chinese telecommunication firm, Huawei, kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Thursday to help boost employment opportunities.

The fair, which brought together more than 100 employees seeking both skilled and semi-skilled individuals for jobs and internship opportunities, saw Huawei announce that it will provide 5,000 employment opportunities.

In his opening remarks, Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the fair and other similar events would go a long way in opening up job opportunities, sharing ideas and experiences as well as driving Kenya into the much-needed job creation discourse.

"Any investor, any entrepreneur or any organization with a program that will create an extra job is our natural partner and friend. I, therefore, wish to celebrate Huawei for the good job that you are doing. You are our friends and our partners," Gachagua said.

Steven Zhang, the deputy CEO for Public Affairs of Huawei Kenya, said the job fair shows the strength of the country, the resilience of the Kenyan people as well as the optimism amongst Kenyan businesses.

Zhang added that Kenya's economy is bouncing back strongly from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As the market begins to stabilize, there has been an increased demand for skilled personnel to fill the available job opportunities, especially those requiring digital skills. With this in mind, Huawei has partnered with the Nation Media Group to create a platform that seeks to connect employers to job seekers," he observed.

Ababu Namwamba, cabinet secretary in the Ministry for Youth Affairs, Sports and The Arts, said Kenya is acutely aware of the need to empower its future workforce and hence the timeliness of the recruitment fair.

"This is indeed a fantastic opportunity for us to have a candid conversation, and for employers to showcase employment opportunities and for us to explore ways in which we can expand employment and entrepreneurship for our young people," Namwamba added.