•The latest data by the Federation of Kenya Employers shows firms are spending 16-19 per cent of revenue to retrain employees straight from universities.
•Another one by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) shows only half of the more than 50,000 students who graduate annually are suitable for employment.
A Nairobi-based eLearning firm is working with employers and stakeholders in the education sector to prepare students for the job market.
The firm develops online training programmes for today’s dynamic job market through its training arm, ELSAT Hub.
The first cohorts who trained in September to December 2022 recorded remarkable success in the programme, ELSAT chief executive Esther Gacicio said.
At least 22 trainees out of 30 graduated.
Selected students went through the nine-course units, work on all assignments, participate in discussion fora and group activities as well as complete the regular assignments and surveys given during the course.
"This enhances the experiential nature of the course that causes behavior change in the participants. It calls for great discipline, focus and determination", Gacicio said.
The latest data by the Federation of Kenya Employers shows firms are spending 16-19 per cent of revenue to retrain employees straight from universities.
Another one by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) shows only half of the more than 50,000 students who graduate annually are suitable for employment.
And of these graduates, more than half are not suited to their career choice, the notes in a survey.
The report, released in collaboration with Ernst and Young, assessed the employability of graduates and the fledgling teaching and research system within the institutions of higher learning.
The IUCEA findings suggest that the majority of those who graduate cannot land or will find it challenging to secure long-term employment in their fields of study.
According to Gacicio, the ultimate goal for the course is to make the participants better versions of themselves through the experiential nature of the course.
The class is diverse bringing together students studying various disciplines at various levels but close to completion of their studies.
This interactive self-paced course entails nine units taken over a period of 9-12 weeks with the first week being landing, settling and orientation to the online course.
The online course is largely experiential where the participants engage and analyze case studies.
They then identify a mission for every unit which give them an opportunity to exercise and apply what they have learned thus acquiring hands-on experience.
The units are designed to ensure that learning takes place by having assignments, tests, reflections and hands-on activities.
All participants are expected to undertake a pre-assessment activity upon registration and before the commencement of the course.
There is a post-assessment activity on completion of the course before generating the certificate.
The ELSAT Hub training program has a dedicated team of 10 trainers who journey with the participants through synchronised and asynchronised ways throughout the course.
Gacicio says the training equips learners with the necessary ‘soft’ skills which are a prerequisite in the dynamic job market of today.
"It focuses on the non-technical skills that may not be comprehensively handled during their training in post-secondary institutions in preparation for life after college," she said.
Through ELSAT Hub programmes, Gacicio is aiming at addressing the yawning gap between the cadre of skilled graduates that enter the job market and the requirements of employers.
“One thing employers will tell you is that in Kenya, we are not short of good resumes,” she explains, "People write very good CVs but when the person and the CV appear in front of you, they are totally disconnected.”
A recent report by consulting firm Deloitte warns that advances in artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive computing and automation mean future employees will require extra skills than their predecessors to remain competitive in the labour market.
According to the report, close to half of the jobs in the US for example face potential automation by 2030.
“Now, possibly more than ever, there appears to be an impetus for employees to bring their “soft” skills - such as creativity, leadership, and critical thinking -to work,” explains Deloitte in the report.