Addressing the Cybersecurity Workforce Gap: Lessons from the Cyber Shujaa Program in Kenya

Given the rising rates of youth unemployment, there is a growing need for targeted youth employability initiatives. A skills mismatch exists between what graduates are taught and what the industry needs, underscoring the need for interventions that ensure graduates are adequately skilled to get jobs. This research examines the critical design features that contribute to the success of youth employment initiatives. It presents a case study of the Cyber Shujaa program that committed to provide decent employment for 2,000 youth over a three-year period from 2022-2024. By December 2024, the program had received over 4,500 applications, with 2,550 beneficiaries successfully completing skill-based training in cybersecurity with 41% of them being women. A total of 2,038 had secured decent jobs translating to an 80% employability transition where specifically: 1,016 unemployed youth were matched into decent jobs, 963 had improved employment and a further 41 had registered their businesses as entrepreneurs. This paper presents a critical review of the program specifically examining what has enabled it to meet its 3-year target while gleaning from the lessons learnt. It identifies potential improvements for sustainability, scalability and knowledge-sharing to support the success of similar programs.