Graduates should seek jobs in county towns instead of flocking to Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG
When a local TV station recently aired a story of an unemployed
university graduate, Kenyans expressed their sympathies to him in all
forms of media.
The
graduate is a victim of an education system that glorifies acquisition
of academic papers with no regard for their utility in the labour
market.
What the sympathisers failed to address were
the causes of unemployment of graduates and how they can be addressed.
Here are five ways of reducing the persistent unemployment that are
ignored and sometimes wished away.
OVERHAUL CURRICULA
Universities have been accused of implementing curricula that is
out of touch with the knowledge and skills required in the labour
market. But they are adamant arguing that their role is to transfer
learning and not to create jobs for their graduates.
Such
misleading arguments have led to developing curricula that focus more
on theory than practice. It is, therefore, not surprising that a
university graduate fails to get a job with their first degree unless he
or she cements it with a postgraduate diploma in a particular field of
specialisation.
A first degree nowadays is a confirmation that one is literate. Days are gone when it was a passport to white-collar jobs.
The onus is on universities to review some of their outdated courses so that they produce employable graduates.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT SKILLS
Fresh
graduates would be cheating themselves that a first degree is all they
need to secure jobs in the ever-competitive labour market. The first
degree is a prerequisite for further training that would equip them with
employable skills for either the corporate sector or self-employment.
Organisations
require new employees who have been exposed to basic aspects of work.
There is a need for students to undergo formal intensive internships or
apprenticeships during their studies or soon after graduation to expose
them to the demands of a working environment.
PROMOTE SELF-EMPLOYMENT
The
societal perception of university degrees creates unrealistic
expectations for fresh graduates. While university education prepared
them for paid employment, the reality on the ground is that
self-employment opportunities are beckoning the graduates.
On
graduation, they face an uphill task when they try to venture into
businesses they were not prepared for. Curriculum at all levels of
education should incorporate entrepreneurship studies to provide
graduates with employment options.
PROMOTE SMALL ENTERPRISES
Unlike
the early days when both the public and private sectors were the main
employers, small enterprises create more jobs than before. The dwindling
capacity of job creation in the formal sector should shift attention to
the promotion of SMEs. Concerned authorities need to level the playing
field particularly on overhauling legislation that impedes entry and
expansion of small businesses.
COUNTY INVESTMENT
Although
devolution was aimed at decentralising investment opportunities from
major urban areas such as Nairobi to county towns, the latter have not
positioned themselves as investment destinations.
The performance of some urban centres is worse than when they operated as county or municipal councils.
Counties would create jobs by offering incentives that attract manufacturing investments that use local resources.
Graduates
should seek jobs in county towns instead of flocking to Nairobi whose
employment absorption capacity is already outstretched.
No comments :
Post a Comment