Role of information technology skills on youth empowerment projects: a case of Nakuru town, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to show the role of information technology skills on sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Nakuru Town. Youth unemployment is a critical issue amongst the youth in the developing nations as it has led to high costs of living due to the fact that they have to be supported by the minority of employed individuals. Unemployment has brought about major issues like poverty, drug abuse, immorality and crime in the country. A closer look at the problem of unemployment shows that there is a major issue with skills development interms of youths not possessing the rightful skills to run businesses to boost on employment and alleviate the unemployment problem. This has therefore brought about youths engaging in unsustainable projects. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of information technology skills in youth empowerment projects in Nakuru Town. The study was guided by four objectives: to examine how entrepreneurial training on information technology skills enhance sustainability of youth empowerment projects, to assess how online financing enhance sustainability of youth empowerment projects, to determine how internal controls enhance sustainability of youth empowerment projects and to establish how online marketing enhance sustainability of youth empowerment projects. Four theories have been put forward to show how information technology skills influences both social structures and transformations in business production and trade. These are Joseph Schumper‟s Entrepreneurship & Innovation theory which views technological innovation as the source of economic growth, Schumpeter urgued that economic change revolves around innovation, entrepreneurial activities and market power, technological determinism theory which assumes that a society‟s technology and especially productive technology determines its social structure and cultural values, signaling theory which shows how technology based entrepreneurs manage to transform their ideas into viable businesses and technological revolution theory which shows the effects of technological change on global economic structure in the way companies and nations organize production, trade goods, invest capital and develop new products and processes. The conceptual framework shows how information technology assists the youth to achieve their goals in project sustainability. There is therefore a gap in terms of use of information technology skills in running of youth projects. Since no adequate research has been carried out in Nakuru town on use of information technology skills to tackle the youth unemployment problem, this study sought to explain the role that information technology skills plays in sustainability of youth empowerment projects. The research was a case study. The research design was descriptive and questionnaires were used to collect data. The target population was the youth projects based in Nakuru town. The sample size was estimated at 150respondents who were drawn from various projects. Data collection was by use of questionnaires. Data was later analyzed using statistics in percentages and frequencies. The findings from the study was that entrepreneurial skills, online financing, internal controls and online marketing influence sustainability of the youth empowerment projects. Suggestions and recommendations were done based on the findings. This was mainly on skills development, government intervention and to policy makers on interventions on youth empowerment Also there should be considerations interms of female involvement in group leadership. Age, level of education and aims for staring business should also be put into consideration when coming up with youth projects.. Youth empowerment projects are seen as an avenue of opportunity for young people. It is an innovative way of integrating the youth into labor market. This is a valuable additional strategy to creating jobs and improving livelihoods and economic independence of young people. Skills in Information technology is thus seen as a way to enable youth acquire skills and jobs to start new projects and to bridge the unemployment gap.