Scholars to study why graduates are shunned

By ALLY JAMAH

Scholars have launched a three-year research project to establish how universities in Africa can deliver employable graduates.

Yesterday, education specialists and scholars from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa met in Nairobi to deliberate on how to carry out the project.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said while Kenyan public and private universities produce at least 50,000 graduates every year, many employers have expressed concern that most of them do not have the skills they require.

Critical thinking

“Currently, employers want graduates who can adapt to the workplace culture, use their abilities and skills to evolve the organisation and participate in innovative teamwork. They also value critical thinking as this is required for innovation, and anticipating and leading change,” said Prof Kaimenyi.

He called for reforms in how universities in Kenya and other African countries train their students to ensure that they meet the expectations of potential employers.

British Council Kenya Country Director, Tony Reilly, expressed concern that despite graduate employability being a critical issue in Kenya and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, no research has been done to deepen understanding of the problem and inform appropriate policies to address it.

British Council Kenya is co-ordinating the research.

“We need a much better understanding of how universities, students, employers and policy makers can address the overlapping challenges of employability and inclusive development,” said Reilly.

White-collar jobs

University of Eldoret Chancellor Judith Bahemuka called for a radical re-interpretation and perception of what “employment” is, saying it should not be restricted to the white-collar jobs found in offices.

She said even graduates who have gone into self-employment or the informal sectors should be counted as employed.

“If we broaden the perspective of employment, we will realise that the problem of youth unemployment is not as huge as it has been made out to seem. In any case, the true picture will only be revealed by the research study that has now been launched,” she said.

The research will be primarily based on information obtained from relevant stakeholders at the national and university level, including policy makers, major employer organisations, faculty, university managers and students.

A World Bank report released last week noted that as many as 11 million young Africans are expected to join the labour market every year for the next decade and that creating millions of productive, well-paid jobs will be vital to boosting economic growth, cutting poverty and creating shared prosperity.