‘Employers Are Looking For Soft Skills,’ Olive Mugenda Tells Kenyan Graduates

You will recall a certain article dubbed “I am not a Half Baked Graduate! Angry Job Seeker tells Kenyan Employers” which elicited a lot of comments from Kenyans. Flash forward and in recently Kenyatta University Student Work Induction Programme (SWIP)  revealed that most graduates lack essential ‘soft skills’ to make them employable.

KU Vice Chancellor Prof. Olive Mugendi, told participants during the launch, that employers weren’t only looking for technical skills but also ‘soft skills’ like the ability to communicate effectively, commitment and flexibility among others.

“KU does studies on the performance of our alumni and we have found out that most graduates lack skills like effective communication, hence the need to impart such skills to job seekers to make them more competitive in the job market.”

Prof. Mugendi also noted that the current training models in universities involving attachments or internships do not adequately prepare students. SWIP would therefore give KU students an edge in the job market as they would have an opportunity to have a taste of the real job world.

The programme will involve students alternating study and work with job experience periods of up to five months per academic year. “Students will be treated like any other employees but will be supervised and mentored.”

Speaking to Ms. Beth Wanjira, a Recruitment Manager with Corporate Staffing Services, she agrees and says that a lot of graduates really lack these skills for various reasons. “Some it’s because of how they were socialized while others just lack the confidence to believe in themselves or their skills enough to commit.”

That said, she says that employees have no choice but to adapt to the job market or risk losing out on opportunities. Hence she very much applauds the university’s move as it would greatly help employers and employees in the long run.

So let’s keep the discussion going and let us know your thoughts on the topic more so if you’re a graduate or employer.

Courtesy: The Daily Nation.

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