University students will in the future benefit from state-sponsored career guidance.
The Education ministry last year directed all universities and tertiary institutions to set up career offices to guide young people on their choices and job market demands.
However, the creation of the offices remains sluggish due to a lack of policy to guide the process.
University Education PS Samson Nabukwesi said that there has been a mismatch of training and work due to a lack of proper career guidance in the universities.
“The tragedy in Africa is that people do jobs that they don’t like or aren’t trained to do and this has been attributed to poor career selection and planning,” the PS said when he opened a stakeholders’ workshop at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Nairobi.
According to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, career guidance will educate prospective and continuing students and parents on professional opportunities and how to progress towards them.
While some universities such as Kenyatta University have already established a center for career development and mentoring for continuing and potential students and alumni, many universities are yet to establish similar offices.
The office of career services is designed to assist students in identifying potential careers, developing educational plans, and providing students with accurate information about academic progression and degree requirements, thus assisting students with proper planning of their degree and career progress.
As pressure builds against tuition fee increases, universities are looking for ways to prove the education they offer is worth the sometimes hefty price tag.
One way many are doing so is by putting the tag on the need for proper career advice to the students.
Nabukwesi said that such guidance can improve job placement rates and academic achievement.
Many students end up missing the employer’s expectations of new graduates and enter the job market with often-misinformed views, the PS said.
“We want students to deepen an understanding of themselves through various psychological assessment tools and discussion with the counselors and get a glimpse into the world of work,” Nabukwesi said.