The state of joblessness in kenya

Each year thousands of students graduate with hopes of finding or securing job opportunities in the market full of other graduates who have given up in job hunting with some opting to go back for further studies, others going back to their villages to practice farming while others settle for whatever jobs that come their way. In some instances students are rendered unemployable due to lack of skills relevant to their courses in the job market.

With all these struggles students and graduates have one thing to blame; the education system. There’s a big difference between what we learn in school and what employers expect of us in terms of delivery because most of classwork is theoretical as it is in the case of those who pursue Journalism and Mass Communication, just to mention a few where one is needed to have all the practical skills related to the job.

The fact that you’ve graduated doesn’t guarantee you employment. Whether you graduated with a first class honors, second class, pass or credit doesn’t mean you’ll secure yourself a job right after graduation. Most of these companies are looking for experienced workers something that we weren’t taught in class and it will be difficult for a fresh graduate to land on a job right after graduation.

Depending on your degree alone will not land you a job. What can you offer apart from the classroom knowledge and papers? Everyone got papers, so what will make you different from the rest of the applicants? What will make an employer pick you from the rest?

Qualities such as being proactive, good communicate skills and public speaking will distinguish you from thousands of graduates who have nothing to put to table apart with their papers.

when you get a chance to do something whether as an intern or a volunteer, take it up as it is the best way to acquire practical skills that are not offered in classrooms. If there is someone or an NGO willing to have you within their corridors as an intern even if you have masters grab the opportunity. The three months on job training can really change your life and from there you’ll be able to identify other courses you can pursue instead of going for a masters in the same field that you studied.

As a graduate get rid of that thought that you are a graduate and you deserve the best out of your mind because nobody knows you’re a graduate and people careless to know whether you and as a matter of fact, we have seen many people working in different sectors different from the courses they pursued in University.

After graduation, the question you should ask yourself is how are you going to build your life. Start from the ground. That small company from your home town you’re ignoring is your stepping stone.
It is high time graduates wake up from their comfort zone and work for the betterment of their future. The story of Kelvin Ochieng, a first Class Honors graduate brought up serious discussions on the state of thousands unemployed graduates in our country and despite the fact that the Jubilee government promised students the establishment of an apprenticeship programme of up to 12 months, nothing has been done to date.

How many students graduated before you? And how many are graduating every year? All these are still waiting for employment. We have seen people who pursued electrical engineering working as waiters or writers of different newspapers just to mention a few. As you keep in sending your application letters to different companies and offices, wake up from your slumber land and find something to do.