10 to 15-Year Wait for Teacher Jobs Highlights Kenya’s Employment Crisis.
Kenya is facing a widening employment gap, with approximately 1.2 million learners graduating annually from primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities against an estimated 100,000 jobs created each year, according to Jubilee Holdings Limited Chief Executive Officer Dr Julius Kipng’etich.
Kipng’etich raised the concern during the 29th Graduation Ceremony of Mount Kenya University (MKU) held in Thika, where he said the disparity was leaving more than one million young people without formal employment opportunities annually.
He called for government intervention through policies aimed at accelerating economic growth, expanding employment opportunities and strengthening the country’s savings culture.
“The country is facing a serious unemployment crisis, churning out 1.2 million graduates annually in primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities, against 100,000 jobs,” Kipng’etich said.
Employment Gap and Labour Market Pressure
Kipng’etich said the difference between the number of young people completing education and the number of jobs being created had intensified pressure on Kenya’s labour market.
He said the employment challenge was demonstrated by the prolonged periods some graduates spend seeking formal employment after completing their studies.
The Jubilee Holdings Limited Chief Executive Officer cited the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) as an example of the pressure within the labour market, noting that some trained teachers had secured employment between 10 and 15 years after completing their studies.
He said the scale of new entrants into the labour market required increased emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, given the limited capacity of the formal employment sector to absorb all graduates.
Kipng’etich said entrepreneurship required access to capital and called for increased savings to support young people seeking to establish and expand businesses.
“Entrepreneurship requires capital,” he said, urging Kenyans to strengthen their savings culture to support investment and business development.
Education Inequality in Northern Kenya
Kipng’etich also raised concerns over disparities in access to education, particularly in Northern Kenya.
He said approximately 14 per cent of young people in the region had never joined secondary school.
He challenged Parliament to enact legislation guaranteeing children access to education for at least 18 years.
According to Kipng’etich, expanded access to education would address inequalities and increase opportunities for young people.
Mount Kenya University Curriculum Reforms
Mount Kenya University Vice Chancellor Professor Deogratius Jaganyi said the institution was undertaking curriculum reviews and integrating emerging technologies and digital skills into its academic programmes.
Jaganyi said the university was incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital skills training to prepare students for changes in the labour market.
He said MKU had also expanded its postgraduate programmes into emerging areas, including mental health, psychiatric studies and health records management.
The Vice Chancellor said institutions of higher learning were required to continue reviewing and adapting academic programmes to ensure graduates acquired skills relevant to changes in the economy and workplace.
Emerging Technologies and Global Partnerships
Mount Kenya University Chancellor Professor John Struthers called on young people to embrace innovation, adaptability and resilience amid technological advancement and increased global connectivity.
Struthers commended MKU for strengthening international partnerships and investing in emerging technologies.
The technologies cited included Artificial Intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, fifth-generation mobile technology (5G) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Read Also: TSC Explains Why Teacher Promotions Have Been Delayed.
The university’s investments in these areas were highlighted during the graduation ceremony alongside the institution’s ongoing efforts to align academic programmes with emerging professional and technological requirements.
The concerns raised at the ceremony centred on the disparity between the number of learners completing different levels of education and the estimated number of formal employment opportunities created annually, as well as disparities in access to secondary education and the need for continued adaptation of higher education programmes to labour market requirements.
10 to 15-Year Wait for Teacher Jobs Highlights Kenya’s Employment Crisis.
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