Zeleza emphasized the importance of investing in graduates and ensuring that they are well prepared to effectively deliver in the job market. He said reports on graduate employability show that there are glaring mismatches between what universities are producing and what the economy needs, resulting in graduates spending years searching for employment, unemployed and underemployed.
According to data from the Federation of Kenya Employers at least 70% of entry- level recruits require a refresher course in order to start to deliver in their new jobs. To mitigate this, he mentioned that the University is engaged in several initiatives that will improve on the employability of its graduates. One of these initiatives includes the Placement and Career Services that assists students make a smooth transition from the academic world to the professional work space.
Another initiative is the partnership between USIU-Africa and the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) that seeks to equip 20 million youth with skills for employability. He mentioned that said that USIU-Africa was chosen as the only private University in Kenya to participate in this program and will be hosting the Coding for Employment training project in Kenya.
According to a report published by the British Council on universities, employability and inclusive development, Kenya faces a growing problem of what has been referred to as the 'youth bulge', with 80% of its population under 35 years old. The youth, aged 15-34 years form 35 per cent of the population and have the highest unemployment rate of 67 per cent. Even though not all in this age group have joined the labor force, the unemployment rate amongst those that have is extremely high.
The recent expansion of the university sector has fed into perceptions that many of the increased number of graduates joining the labor market are unable to obtain jobs.
"The government is developing policies to support industry competitiveness and support teaching, research and innovation"
Dr. Kevit Desai
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