Secretary Youth Development Urges Young People to Pursue their Careers Diligently

The Secretary of Youth Development in the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, Mr. Raymond Ochieng, HSC, has encouraged young people to pursue their careers and dreams diligently, noting that they have the potential to become future leaders and captains of industries locally and globally.

While speaking during an engagement forum on Leadership and Soft Skills for interns and attachees drawn from various institutions within the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, held on Friday 26th July 2024, at the Nairobi Film Centre (NFC), Mr. Ochieng stated that young people have what it takes to make future leaders who will drive Kenya’s socio-economic agenda.

He further encouraged the interns and attachees to leverage the knowledge and skills acquired in various agencies and the Departments to advance their careers in their specific fields of study.

“I challenge young people who have had the opportunity to work in various entities within the State Department of Youth Affairs and Creative Economy to dream big, prepare, and take advantage of the opportunities that exist to realize their careers and advance, no matter the small steps and achieve success in their fields of study,” he said.

Mr. Ochieng emphasized the key role of young people in contributing to socio-economic development, noting that the young people if empowered have the potential to transform the world.
Speaking at the forum, CPA Paskal Opiyo, the Ag. CEO, the Kenya Film Classification Board, lauded the forum, noting that it was relevant in empowering the youth with knowledge on practical soft skills.

“We are joyful to work with young people who are among the KFCB’s key stakeholders in executing the Board’s mandate as enshrined in the Films and Stage Plays Act, Cap 222 of the Laws of Kenya, and other enabling laws,” he said.

CPA Opiyo reaffirmed the KFCB’s commitment to creating a facilitative regulatory environment to spur the growth of the creative economy in line with the Fifth Pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), and the Talanta Hela Initiative being implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports.

To spur the growth of the creative economy, the Ag. CEO said that KFCB has provided the NFC, formerly Nairobi Cinema as a platform for creatives to showcase and monetize their talents, adding that the 850-seater state-of-the-art auditorium is given out to creatives at a discounted fee.
He indicated that KFCB will continue to partner and support initiatives geared towards talent identification and monetization through the NFC and other programs, besides executing its mandate. 
Further, CPA Paskal assured creatives of the Board’s commitment to spur the growth of the film sector, noting that the Board is not out to stifle creativity. The Ag. CEO urged young people to consume audio-visual content responsibly and support KFCB’s campaigns on protecting children from exposure to inappropriate audio-visual content and other programs among them the Parents Digital Literacy Program (PADIL).

 
Ms. Nelly Muluka, the KFCB’s Ag. Chief Manager, Corporate Services and Administration emphasized the role of effective communication and etiquette at the workplace in her presentation to more than 100 interns and attachees.
She urged the young people to exercise discipline, integrity, professionalism, and accountability in the pursuit of their careers and job opportunities.

Other speakers/presenters during the sensitization forum organized by the State Department of Youth Affairs and Creative Economy were Ms. Maureen Musyoki who made a presentation on Self-Awareness, Ms. Gladys Obonyo on Work-Life Balance and Time Management, Mr. Peter Karanja on Leadership Skills as well as Mr. George Osaso, who gave an introductory overview of the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy. 

The interns and attachees were drawn from the KFCB, the Kenya Film Commission, the National Youth Council Kenya (NYC), and the Department of Film Services (DFS), among other agencies within the State Department of Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy.