Propel, a ‘Future of Work’ venture-backed company, in collaboration with StepStone, the global leader in online recruitment, hosted a two-day event in Nairobi to explore German-Kenyan talent relations. The gathering brought together tech influencers, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of the German government to enhance the link between the German and Kenyan workforces.
Presently, German based Propel plays a pivotal role in curating and connecting African talent to the global economy by collaborating with over 200 tech communities across 22 countries, and serving over half a million members. StepStone operates in 30 countries worldwide and manages over 500,000 job postings from 140,000 global employers. Propel invited StepStone to Kenya to explore the rich and diverse talent base.
Founders of Propel, Sunkanmi Ola and Seun Owolabi, alongside Dr. Sebastian Dettmers, the CEO of The Stepstone Group, led an executive team and key stakeholders during a visit to Nairobi on January 17th and 18th. This visit marked a crucial step in a broader European initiative to strengthen ties between the African and European workforces. As the population in Europe gets older, the number of people of working age in the EU is forecast to fall by 7 million this year, creating a pressing need to bridge this gap. The collaborative efforts undertaken during this visit underscore the commitment to addressing demographic shifts and fostering a resilient partnership between the two continents.
German Ambassador Sebastian Groth gave remarks at the event and commended Propel for its impactful work. The Ambassador outlined ongoing collaborations with the Kenyan government to facilitate the movement of skilled labor to Germany. Ambassador Groth commented, “Regarding the quality of human capital, Kenya ranks among the top 3 countries in Africa. A bilateral task force has been set up to see how we can work with organizations such as Propel that already have a presence here to access the much-needed local talent.”
Stepstone Group CEO Sebastian Dettmers noted that “in about 10 years, a third of Germany will be at retirement age. We are looking at where the new sources of talent are and how we can participate in these ecosystems responsibly and much more sustainably.”
Sunkanmi Ola, Co-Founder of Propel, expressed, “At Propel we envision a future where talent knows no borders and individuals can contribute to the global workforce from anywhere. Our commitment is to build bridges between our half a million strong community and the great job opportunities worldwide.”
Seun Owolabi, Co-Founder of Propel, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Our aim is to empower African tech communities by driving global job opportunities to local talent. In doing so, we unlock economic potential and contribute to the narrative of a diverse and thriving global workforce.”
Propel and StepStone remain steadfast in their commitment to curating and connecting the untapped African workforce to the global economy. This initial step, focused on understanding the potential for African talent in the European workforce, will unlock further opportunities to collaborate with European companies and contribute to the narrative of a diverse and thriving global workforce.