Dr. Fred Matiang’i: “The Quality of Kenyan Graduates from Public Universities is Wanting.”

Dr. Fred Matiang’i: “The Quality of Kenyan Graduates from Public Universities is Wanting.”

A report released today by the Ministry of Education via Daily Nation shows that employers in Kenya are increasingly shunning away graduates from Public Universities because of the poor quality of courses being offered.

According to Dr.Matiang’i, Cabinet Secretary to the Ministry of Education, there’s a mismatch between knowledge, skills and competencies required in the market and what the universities offer. The quality of education in universities does not provide students with the necessary information and education that is needed for the job market. There’s a total disconnect in which there exists a broken link between the education system and the job market.

The report indicates that Youths aged between 15 and 35 years constitute 35% of the population. 67% of these are unemployed, a percentage Dr. Matiang’i terms as being too high.

Lack of Labour Market Information

“Most graduates lack timely Labour Market Information  ,” says Matiang’i.  Students attend Universities and during their time there, they are not prepared for the job market at all.

Once they graduate, they become stranded out here wondering what to do next. Due to lack of proper grooming by their Universities, graduates remain unemployed, lacking the skills and necessary knowledge needed to traverse the job market.

In addition to a lack of labour market information, there exist limited linkages between employers and training institutions. This wide gap between these two very interdependent entities/bodies frustrates the absorption rate of graduates in the job market, which has resulted in tarmacking for so many graduates, some even for 5 years.

The research also shows that the number of students graduating from degree programmes every year has increased from 23,523 in 2012, to 49,020 in 2015.

“How many of these are employed?” Matiang’i asks.

See Also >>> 10 Things On Dr. Fred Matiang’i’s CV and His Career Journey

What the job market is looking for according to the Ministry of Education

The ministry’s report says that there’s a growing demand from the labour market for an increased level of skills and competencies for a modern, globally competitive and knowledge-based economy, something the current education system lacks.

Many graduates possess all the right papers, but they get turned down by every employer.  It is therefore, safe to say that gone are the days where academic papers saved the day. Today, employers are looking for more than just papers.

Preferred Graduates by Employers

The report by the Ministry also shows that employers increasingly prefer graduates from private universities as compared to public universities.

A recent survey reveals that graduates from Strathmore University are the most preferred by employers, in the private universities category.

However, graduates from the University  of Nairobi remain to be the most preferred by employers at 84%.

Common Courses Most Students Pursue in the University.

Referring to data obtained in 2016 from the Commission for University Education, the top 3 common courses among university students are Business Administration, Education Arts and Humanities. In total, there are 3,408 academic programmes offered in all Universities in Kenya. 

The Ministry of Education’s report reveals that Humanities and Arts Programmes Account for the highest proportion of programmes, with a total number of 475 courses out of the 3,408, followed by Life Science and Physical Sciences (365) and Business Related Programmes (363).

The programmes that account for the least are in the disciplinary areas of Architecture (0.8%), Law (0.4%) and Manufacturing 0.3%.

Full  list of 11 of the Most Preferred Universities by Kenyan Employers

  1. The University of Nairobi- 84%
  2. Strathmore University- 78%
  3. Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology- 63%
  4. Daystar- 57%
  5. Moi University -45%
  6. USIU- 45%
  7. Egerton- 19%
  8. Kenya Methodist- 17%
  9. Mount Kenya University- 13%
  10. Baraton University- 7%
  11. Maseno-6.3%

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In summary, what are your two cents on Matiangi’s report? Do you think the current Education System in Universities is to blame for the high rate of unemployment in Kenya? What about the most preferred Universities by employers? Do you agree with the list? Leave a comment below.

Related Article >>>Understanding the Hidden Job Market

Written and compiled by Susan Gitonga, a Communications Officer at Career Point Kenya. Email: susan@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke