TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR): Career Coach and Life Skills Counsultancy, Jenga Ajira Project
1. Background
The Centre for Domestic Training and Development (CDTD) is a Kenyan non-governmental organization committed to advancing decent work, skills development, labour rights and economic empowerment for vulnerable populations, particularly women, youth, migrant workers, domestic workers, refugees, survivors of trafficking and host communities. For over two decades, CDTD has championed innovative interventions that improve livelihoods through technical skills development, advocacy, labour mobility and market-driven employment pathways.
CDTD is implementing Jenga Ajira Project, an 18-month youth employability initiative that seeks to sponsor at least 80 vulnerable youth aged 18–25 years, within Kiambu and Nairobi County around Thika Road Economic Corridor. The aim is for participants to move into decent wage employment or sustainable self-employment after six months of completing training.
The project responds to a persistent challenge where many vulnerable youth cannot afford TVET training, existing programmes that often do not match labour-market demand, youth lack practical work experience and essential employability skills, and young women face additional barriers to skills and decent work. About 90% of the new jobs created in Kenya in 2024 were in the informal sector (KNBS, 2025), so both employment and self-employment pathways are necessary for more employability outcomes.
A market assessment of accredited training institutions commissioned by CDTD (September 2026) confirmed five priority trades with documented labour-market demand. The Jenga Ajira model combines;
(1) Targeted youth selection,
(2) Demand-driven accredited TVET training,
(3) Holistic employability development (life skills, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, mentorship and workplace readiness),
(4) Industrial attachments,
(5) Job placement and enterprise support, and
(6) Labour-market alignment and partnerships.
1.1 Justification
Technical training alone is not enough. Employers report that young people lack workplace behaviour, communication and readiness skills, and the market assessment found learner behaviour change, among the main challenges reported by training institutions. To improve retention, completion and transition to work, CDTD seeks to engage a qualified Career Coach and Life Skills Consultant to deliver the life skills, employability, career guidance and mentorship component of the project.
2. Purpose of the Assignment
To design and deliver a structured, gender-responsive life skills, employability and career-coaching programme for at least 80 vulnerable youth enrolled in accredited training under the Jenga Ajira Project, and to support their transition into industrial attachments, employment and further career pathways.
The consultancy is measurably supposed to improve participants' soft skills, work readiness and career decision-making process, strengthen retention and completion of technical training for student.
3. Objectives of the Assignment
The consultant/institution shall:
- Design a competency-based career coach, life skills and employability training manual, responsive to the needs of vulnerable young women and men. Covering; self-awareness and confidence; personal brand; personal grooming; social media branding; basic digital skills; communication; workplace ethics, discipline and professionalism; teamwork and problem-solving; time management; health, safety, rights at work, safeguarding and gender-based violence awareness.
- Provide individual and group career coaching, guidance and mentorship, including CV writing, interview preparation, job search, online job platforms and professional networking.
c)Prepare participants for industrial attachments and support their conduct during placement, in liaison with training institutions and employers.
d)Support job-placement activities, including career fairs, employer engagement sessions and employment matching.
e)Support informal work preparedness as an extension of skills development and application.
f)Measure change through pre- and post-training assessments and track participants' transition outcomes.
4. Scope of Work
- Target group and location
At least 80 youth aged 18–25 years (at least 70% young women) enrolled in accredited training at partner institutions and training them in a series of sessions at partner institutions or a venue agreed and timed to fit trainees' class schedules for a total of 32 hours.
- Programme components
•Onboarding session: orientation sessions, to help charter individual career development plans.
•Life skills and employability skills training: a minimum of 32 contact hours delivered in small groups at a time to be assigned by CDTD.
•Career coaching and mentorship: at least four coaching sessions for group participants, life skills including peer mentors and role models motivational talk is an added advantage.
•Attachment readiness: pre and post-attachment workshops and follow-up during the three to four months of industrial attachment.
•Transition support: career fairs, employer talks and job-matching support, and tracking of participants up to six months post training support.
- Cross-cutting requirements
•Gender-responsive delivery, including practical orientation for young mothers.
•Disability-inclusive delivery in both print, visual and audio for all materials to be used in the sessions.
•Awareness with the Labor Market Assessment survey and in close coordination with the training institutions to capture career coaching and life-skills training outcomes.
5. Methodology and Approach
The consultant shall propose a participatory, experiential and learner-centred methodology suited to young people with varied education levels, including role plays, case studies, simulations, peer learning and use of local languages where possible. The Expression Of Interest (EOI) should explain how learning will be assessed (pre- and post-tests, observation and self-assessment), how participants at risk of dropping out will be identified and supported, and how data will be collected and reported against the project indicators below.
Project indicator Consultant contribution
% of trainees showing improved soft skills (pre/post assessment) Design and administer assessments; report results by gender
Number of youth completing training & feedback Attendance registers and feedback records
% of trainees retained and completed training Early warning and follow-up of at-risk trainees
Action points results tracking post training Desired change implemented from action point plan post-training.
6. Expected Deliverables
# Deliverable Indicative timing
1 Inception report: work plan, methodology, training manual, assessment tools and safeguarding or referral plan post training Within 3 days of contract signing
2 Participant’s training post approval of the training manual Within 2 days after approval
4 Post training workplan sessions Within 6 months during training period
5 Action points report for all participants Within 5 days after training
6 Final report with pre/post assessment results, outcomes by sex and lessons learned Within 2 weeks of the end of the assignment
7. Duration and Timeline
The assignment is expected to run for up to nine months alongside the training and attachment cycle, for an estimated 32 hours level of effort. The final training schedule will be agreed in after the inception report and aligned with the intake dates of partner training institutions.
8. Qualifications and Experience
- Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Counselling Psychology, Education, Social Work, Human Resource Management, Youth Development or a related field. A certification in career coaching, counselling or life skills facilitation is an added advantage.
- Experience: At least five years' experience delivering life skills, employability or career guidance programmes for youth, preferably with vulnerable, out-of-school or TVET youth and young women.
- Technical skills: Proven ability to design competency-based training manuals; experience in mentorship and psychosocial support; knowledge of Kenya's labour market and job search platforms; experience in pre/post assessment and outcome tracking; strong facilitation skills in English and Kiswahili.
- Other: Registration with a relevant professional body is an advantage.
9. Application Documents Required
a)Technical proposal (understanding of the assignment, approach, methodology and work plan)
b)Financial proposal (in Kenya Shillings, inclusive of all applicable taxes)
c)Updated CV(s) of the lead consultant (Must be indicated as lead) and any proposed team members
d)Copies of academic and professional certificates
e)KRA PIN
f)Valid ID / Passport or Business registration certificate and a company profile (for firms)
g)Sample of a life skills or employability curriculum previously developed or credible institutional attestation.
h)At least three (3) reference letters from clients confirming successful delivery of similar youth life skills, employability or career coaching assignments.
10. Reporting, Safeguarding and Data Protection
The consultant shall report directly to the Program Officer, Jenga Ajira Project, and work closely with the training institutions' career and student-support officers where applicable. All deliverables shall be submitted in Microsoft Word and PDF formats, together with attendance registers, assessment tools and training feedback forms.
The consultant/institution will be required to sign and comply with CDTD's Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy and Code of Conduct, and to handle all personal data of participants in line with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019.