In my various interactions with upcoming journalism and media professionals, the common hue and cry has been the numerous hurdles they face in trying to access work-related skills in media organisations. This is a sad situation, given the exponential growth of Kenya’s media space into one of the most vibrant in the region.
The place of a skilled workforce in any profession cannot be gainsaid. Just like other vocations, media performance has come under scrutiny from time to time over the professional conduct of its personnel. Media professionals determine the quality of information collected and disseminated by media outlets.
As it is with every profession, having a good degree or diploma is no longer enough to secure that all-important job offer in today’s world. Suitable work experience is now just as valuable as degree and examination results when it comes to developing a successful career. Because of this, internships have become a vital way to assist candidates to stand out from the pack.
Yet lack of functional relationship between the media industry and academia has frustrated the attainment of practical industrial exposure that is critical to skills transfer. It is disheartening that many students seeking industrial attachment are forced to pay for the period should they be lucky to get space.
The upshot of all this is the worrying levels of unemployment. Thousands of young people graduate from tertiary institutions with impressive credentials from a wide range of academic and technical disciplines. However, their preparation for the work industry and life is generally low, leading to a sense of frustration and hopelessness.
Employment opportunities for the youth mark an important transitional period towards increased responsibility and active participation in national development. It is therefore important the youth are offered opportunities to enable them to gain practical work experience and fulfil the legal requirement for registration by professional bodies.
Young and aspiring media professionals face numerous challenges in accessing jobs after graduating from college. Most are not skilled enough to undertake competent media work, making most media outlets not keen to uptake this otherwise versatile group. Additionally, many of the graduates cannot set up their own media enterprises because of skills gaps.
There is therefore need for skilling our journalism graduates with requisite expertise needed in the newsroom and other areas requiring media expertise. Immersive internships are essential to successful outcomes after graduation of our young people. It is important that media trainees access opportunities where they can apply and develop the academic concepts they have learnt in professional settings as well.
Industrial placements also help to build knowledge of workplace collaboration, character, business etiquette and forceful communication tactics, which are among the vital “soft skills” that can only be learnt on the job.
Further, an internship offers an experiential learning opportunity that offers valuable chance for students to network and build critical professional connections before they even graduate.
For some learners, internships are also stepping-stones to full-time jobs. The more people they meet in the professional world with the same interest, the higher their chances to grow as a professional. Through internships, they can learn the ropes of the trade.
Internships allow young people to learn more about themselves. Working in a real-world environment will help them understand the complexities of the media sector and ultimately help them to determine their career path.
It will take a collaborative effort to strengthen our media. One such effort is the Public Service Internship Programme that has been established to assist the youth to gain workplace experience and enable them to have a competitive edge in their job search.
The Media Council of Kenya has also recently moved to strengthen working relations between the media and training institutions in Kenya through an internship programme. We have signed pacts with media outlets and training institutions to implement this. The council will extend a stipend to cover the trainees’ travel and insurance costs.
This is only one step in the journey of thousand miles. For a greater impact, more stakeholders and development partners need to support this initiative as it will eventually contribute to availability of opportunities for thousands of our media sector graduates. The quality of our journalism will also be enhanced.
CEO, Media Council of Kenya. [email protected]
