The Government within its Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003-2007 highlighted the need to create jobs and acknowledgement of the power and potential of ICT to accelerate economic growth This is also in line with the global agenda outlined during the Earth Summit in 1992 "governments should in consultation with their youth communities establish mechanisms that permit access to information and provide them the opportunity to present their perspectives on government decisions (Rogers. A 1995); and the Millennium Development Goals 3, Target 16 (in cooperation with the developing countries, develop decent and productive work for youth.

The Nairobi City Council is developing initiatives aimed at addressing the social development concerns afflicting the city population, especially the most vulnerable groups. These initiatives, which are aimed at improving city services to the residents, have however been implemented in a haphazard, piecemeal effort hampering the accessibility of vulnerable groups to city services.

This is further aggravated by the lack of clear participatory policy formulation of the local government that has limited ownership of the vulnerable groups such as the youth in development planning. The youth despite their numerical strength have had very little participation to date. Continued marginalisation of the youth community in development endeavours at various levels has left them vulnerable to the current socio-economic situation. - The report on the Kenya National Youth Policy - Consensus Building Workshop held on November 2002, in Nairobi, Kenya, stated that in Kenya alone '...people below 30 years of age constitute 75% of the total population' It also stated that '...14 million people are unemployed with about 750,000 entering the job market every year.'

It is in this respect, that the Nairobi City Council did request UN HABITAT for technical support towards enhancing decent and productive employment opportunities for the youth of Nairobi. The technical support also takes into consideration entrepreneurship, employability, employment creation and equity.

II PROJECT MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

The overall aim of this project is to provide career and employment services to urban youth, especially those most vulnerable, residing in Nairobi, aged 15 to 24. In specific the project has been designed to address three basic components:

(1) To establish a management structure as well as formulate pilot services for the One Stop Youth Information Resource Centre
(2) To assess urban youth needs.
(3) To develop a framework of city network of youth, youth organizations, service providers, and employers.

The Centre programmes are designed to capacity build young people and youth groups on gainful livelihood in the field of employment - related facilities in the City of Nairobi and its environ. It targets among others the most vulnerable categories of unemployed youth (15 - 24 years) as priority beneficiaries. Emphasis is put on developing the capacity of the youth to participate, as appropriate, in urban poverty reduction responsibilities.

The centre rationale lies in the provision of a youth friendly approach to employment opportunities in self-employment, formal and non-formal sector. It visualizes the local authority as the "Network Brain" providing an "Information Observatory" as well as "Monitoring and Evaluation" of stakeholders services in employment opportunities.

III PROJECT COMPONENTS AND ACTIVITIES SUPPORT

In order to develop optimize opportunities for youth participation, involvement and growth; the project offers the following activities;

1. A drop-in Resources Centre (Jobs Information Database). The assistance of Professional Employment Counsellor. Jobs search workshops - aimed at providing job opportunities skill training.
2.Career enhancement mentorship services that matches youth with mentors in a career of interest to them.
3. Employment assistance referrals.
4. Employment creation/entrepreneurship workshops and seminars.
5. Counselling and support group; and
6. Personal needs support.

One Stop Youth Information Resource Centre, located at the former Kenya Railways Traffic Headquarters on Haile Sellassie Avenue, next to Uchumi Railways, is an effort by the City Council of Nairobi and its partners, the UN-Habitat, Intermediate Technology Development Group of East Africa (ITDG-EA), Companionship of Works Association (COWA), Germany Technical Cooperation (GTZ), to support the youth in the face of rising unemployment and increasing poverty among this younger population.

The Centre focuses on the aspects of youth employability, employment creation, equal opportunity and entrepreneurship among this group, which form the most productive but vulnerable section of our society.

The Centre programmes are designed to capacity build young people youth groups on gainful livelihood in the field of employment - related fact in the City of Nairobi and its environ. It targets among others the vulnerable categories of unemployed youth (15 - 24 years) as primary beneficiaries.

Emphasis is put on developing the capacity of the youth participate, as appropriate, in urban poverty reduction responsibilities.

The centre rationale lies in the provision of a youth friendly approach employment opportunities in self employment, formal and non-formal sector, visualizes the local authority as the "Network Brain" providing an "Informant Observatory" as well as "Monitoring and Evaluation" of stakeholders service in employment opportunities.

For the Centre to flourish and effectively discharge its mandate, it is imperative that it embraces ICT in all its operations. The Centre is in the process of formulating an appropriate information management system to monitor and evaluate the city youth's social needs and an efficient way of disseminating information to all actors in this field.

This technology will make the centre a fully fledged resource outfit that will enhance and meet its objectives unlike earlier similar ones that failed. ICT has relevance to the day-to-day livelihood of Kenyans and more particularly the youth.

A supportive environment by you all to develop an appropriate information management system is crucial for effective and efficient data gathering and dissemination system.