Organisation: Light for the World Kenya
Project: Ready for Inclusive and Sustainable Employment (RISE)
Engagement Type: Consultancy
Reports To: RISE Project Coordinator
Duty Station: Nairobi, with travel to project implementation areas as required
Duration: 5 months
Light For the World
Light for the World sparks lasting change on disability rights and eye health. We believe in a world where people with eye conditions and disabilities can fully exercise their rights to health, education, work, and protection in emergencies. Over the last three decades, Light for the World has contributed to improving eye health systems and amplifying the voices of people with disabilities.
Our programmes include:
- Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all.
- Inclusive Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education.
- Inclusive Economic Empowerment – ensuring that barriers are removed for men and women with disabilities to access decent work.
In Kenya, Light for the World promotes the socioeconomic inclusion of people with disabilities. We focus on empowering people with disabilities by helping them build skills and access opportunities for growth. At the same time, we influence systemic changes to ensure people with disabilities thrive in inclusive environments. Our dual approach emphasizes on the empowerment of people with disabilities alongside broader social transformation.
Through our programmes, we create opportunities for inclusive business and employment. Our Inclusive Business approach equips entrepreneurs with the tools and networks they need to succeed in competitive markets, while advocating for a business environment that embraces diversity. We also partner with organisations and institutions to foster inclusive workplaces by addressing barriers such as a lack of accessibility, negative attitudes and policies.
Background of RISE Program
The Ready for Inclusive Sustainable Employment (RISE) Project is a three-year initiative designed to empower 1,000 young people—both with and without disabilities—to successfully transition into decent and sustainable employment. The project adopts a holistic and layered approach to workforce readiness, equipping participants with essential life skills, employability competencies, and meaningful exposure to the labor market. Through a combination of self-paced online modules, virtual instructor-led sessions, and in-person trainings, participants engage in a comprehensive skills development journey that covers critical areas such as self-leadership, communication, CV writing, interview techniques, and mental health awareness.
The program further bridges the gap between learning and employment through practical job shadowing experiences, career mentorship, paid internship opportunities, and direct job placement linkages. Recognizing that inclusive employment is a shared responsibility, RISE also engages employers and training institutions through disability awareness training, accessibility audits, and inclusive workplace coaching to strengthen their disability confidence.
In parallel, the project promotes systemic change by working with key stakeholders, including government agencies, employer associations, and organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), to advocate for inclusive labor policies and create enabling environments for youth employment. Ultimately, RISE not only builds the capacity of young people to succeed in the job market but also transforms employer attitudes and institutional practices to foster lasting inclusion and opportunity.
Purpose of the role
Light for the World Kenya seeks to engage a Program Consultant to support the transition of young people from training and mentorship into employment. The consultant will focus on maintaining engagement with participating youth beyond training, facilitating actual employment placements, and ensuring the timely completion and documentation of outstanding placement activities. The consultant's primary mandate is to facilitate employment placements for young person’s participating in RISE, ensuring that young people are actively supported from training through employment readiness, job applications, recruitment and placement. The consultant will also track placement outcomes and ensure that outstanding activities and documentation are completed within the project's implementation timelines.
Key Responsibilities and Measurable Priorities
Priority 1: Youth Follow-up and Employment Readiness
- Maintain regular communication with participating young people beyond training to keep them informed of employment opportunities, recruitment processes and required actions.
- Maintain an updated database of youth profiles, qualifications, skills, career interests, employment readiness and placement status.
- Support young people to prepare for employment through CV development, job applications, interview preparation and understanding workplace expectations.
- Track each young person's progress towards employment and identify barriers requiring additional support.
- Coordinate with mentors, the Disability Inclusion Facilitator and other relevant stakeholders to address gaps affecting candidates' readiness for placement.
Key deliverables and indicators:
- Updated database of participating youth and their employment status.
- Regular follow-up records documenting engagement, readiness and support needs.
- Number of youths supported with job applications and interview preparation.
- Updated list of candidates ready for placement and those requiring further support.
Priority 2: Employment Linkage and Actual Placement
- Proactively identify and follow up on suitable vacancies, internships and other employment opportunities for participating youth.
- Match candidates to appropriate opportunities based on qualifications, competencies, interests and employer requirements.
- Coordinate candidate referrals, job applications, interviews and follow-up with prospective employers.
- Maintain regular communication with candidates and employers to track recruitment progress and address placement barriers.
- Collaborate with the Disability Inclusion Facilitator to connect employer engagement efforts with actual placement opportunities and address disability-related barriers, including reasonable accommodation needs.
- Verify successful placements and follow up with candidates and employers to assess onboarding and initial workplace integration.
Key deliverables and indicators:
- Updated employment opportunity and placement pipeline.
- Number of candidates referred to suitable opportunities.
- Number of interviews facilitated.
- Number of verified employment and internship placements secured against agreed targets.
- Documented follow-up on placement commencement and initial workplace integration.
Priority 3: Project Completion, Placement Tracking and Closure
- Track outstanding youth placements, pending referrals, scheduled interviews, employer responses and other actions required to complete the placement process.
- Prioritise placement activities according to candidate readiness, employer demand and project deadlines.
- Maintain accurate records and supporting evidence for employment outcomes in accordance with approved project reporting requirements.
- Prepare concise progress reports highlighting placement achievements, pending cases, implementation challenges and recommended actions.
- Consolidate placement data and documentation required for final reporting and project closure.
- Prepare a structured handover of outstanding cases, employer contacts, placement records and follow-up actions to the RISE Project Coordinator.
Key deliverables and indicators:
- Updated tracker of outstanding placement cases and actions.
- Complete and verifiable documentation of placement outcomes.
- Timely submission of progress reports and placement evidence.
- Consolidated placement status report and closure handover completed within agreed timelines.
Qualifications and Experience
- A diploma or bachelor’s degree in human resource management, Project Management, Social Sciences, Career Guidance or a related field.
- At least three years of relevant experience in youth employability, employment placement, career guidance or project implementation.
- Demonstrated experience supporting young people to access employment or internship opportunities.
- Strong communication, coordination, networking and follow-up skills.
- Good understanding of disability inclusion and barriers faced by young persons with disabilities in accessing employment.
- Experience maintaining databases, tracking results and preparing reports.
- Ability to work independently and deliver agreed outputs within defined timelines.