An Assessment of the Impact of the Stem-Kenya Mentorship Program on Career Choice and Employment of Young Women in Kenya
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Date
2023
Authors
Muthima, Purity
Mwangi, Mary
Karanja, Faith
Mutuku, Winifred
Muna, Wilson
Muniu, Joseph
Wanjau, Ruth
Ndungo, Catherine
Ngina, Ruth
Wamalwa, Ebby Glorian N.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UNESCO
Abstract
In Kenya, various intervention programs have been implemented to support the youth in making informed
career choices and prepare them for employment by imparting practical skills and foster the right work
attitude. These initiatives include apprenticeship, internship and mentorship programs. However, there are
notable gender disparities not just in the uptake of these programs, but also in school to work transition
whereby female participation in the job market is 29.5 per cent compared to males at 36 per cent. This is
more apparent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related fields. As a
mitigation, UNESCO launched the UNESCO-STEM government of Kenya mentorship program in 2014 to
inspire girls to embrace STEM by organising scientific camps of excellence in specific schools in different
counties. This paper presents the findings of an ongoing impact evaluation study to assess the UNESCOSTEM Government of Kenya mentorship program on career choices, income levels and employment
status. . A sample of 177 young women (those that went through the STEM mentorship programme and
those who did not go through the programme) was used. This sample was selected form a target population
of 2,000 by employing Yamane’s (1967) formula for determining sample size. The study adopted the cohort
studies approach, which is a non-experimental longitudinal design that takes a sample of a people who share an essential characteristic. Questionnaires and interview schedule tools were utilized to collect data.
Quantitative data was analysed using STATA while qualitative using NVIVO software. From the study
findings, it can be concluded that participating in the STEM mentorship program broadened the
participants’ scope of employment opportunities. However, there are marginal benefits in placing young
women in STEM related courses. The ongoing study recommends redesigning and implementation of the
program at a larger scale to enhance women economic empowerment and certification of the participants.
Description
Article
Keywords
STEM Government Mentorship Program, STEM Subjects, Career Choices, Income Levels, Employment
Citation
Muthima, P., Mwangi, M., Karanja, F., Mutuku, W., Muna, W., Muniu, J., ... & Wamalwa, E. G. N. (2023). An Assessment of The Impact of The Stem-Kenya Mentorship Program on Career Choice and Employment of Young Women in Kenya. Journal of the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO.