University Students Urged to Pursue Careers in the Creative Economy
The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has urged university students pursuing careers in media and the creative economy, as well as upcoming content creators to take advantage of the programs that the Government is rolling out in the Creative economy to grow their talents for job opportunities and wealth creation, while upholding responsible content creation and consumption.
While addressing Media and Communication students at Chuka University during a Career Workshop, on Wednesday 14th February 2024, Mr. Victor Okello, KFCB’s Head of Licensing, Nairobi Region, said that the Government through flagship programs such as the #TalantaHela Initiative, is committed to monetizing talents and creating a platform for young people to showcase their creativity.
Mr. Okello reaffirmed KFCB's commitment to creating a facilitative regulatory environment for the creative industry to thrive, noting that the Board has aligned its programs to the Fifth Pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), as well as the Talanta Hela Initiative.
In supporting the Creative Economy, Mr. Okello said that KFCB is implementing the Sinema Mashinani Initiative, whose objective is to identify and nurture talents at the grassroots, as well as to revive the cinema-going culture.
“We encourage young people and upcoming content creators to be proactive and grab the opportunities that the Government is offering to advance their careers and craft in the creative industry,” he stated.
He further urged students pursuing film to take advantage of the gratis license issued by KFCB for educational projects and not commercial purposes, in their pursuit to create marketable content.
Ms. Eunice Githae, the Chuka University Ag. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Finance, Planning and Development (AFPD) Affairs, lauded the Board for honouring the career workshop and pledged future partnerships with the Board.
“KFCB remains our key partner and we look forward to growing this relationship further to empower young people pursuing careers in media and the creative industry,” she said.
Institutions of learning from the ECD to the University level are among the Board’s key stakeholders, especially in the Media Literacy Program and Public Sensitization dubbed: #YouAreWhatYouConsume, which seeks to create awareness on responsible consumption of audiovisual content.
The public sensitization program is anchored on KFCB’s Consumer Advisory role and is in line with our Strategic Plan 2022-2027 as well as our PC targets for the FY 2023/2024.
KFCB is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, mandated to regulate film and broadcast content in Kenya, with the key objective of protecting children from exposure to inappropriate content, as well as ensuring that content conforms to Kenya’s culture, National values, and aspirations.