Graduation is not the finish line: Are graduates prepared for employment?

As graduation approaches, thousands of university students across Kenya are preparing to graduate. Excitement fills the ceremonies as they receive hard-earned certificates after years of academic struggle and commitment, and families celebrate their achievements. For many, however, the next chapter presents a different challenge: entering a competitive job market that demands more than academic qualifications. This raises a question: does completing university education mean graduates are ready to meet the demands of the workplace?

Earning a degree does not necessarily translate into being fully prepared for the workplace. While universities celebrate the number of students graduating, greater attention should also be given to the professionals they release into the job market. Graduation should not only mark the completion of academic studies but also demonstrate graduates' ability to apply the knowledge gained in the workplace.

One challenge facing graduates is the gap between the theoretical knowledge gained in lecture halls and the practical skills required in working environments. Some students complete their programmes with good grades but lack sufficient exposure to the real workplace. This raises concerns about university education and employers' expectations.

A report by Kenya's Commission for University Education (CUE) says university graduates take an average of 11.6 months to secure their first job, as some lack essential skills sought by employers. Four in every ten graduates spend more than a year looking for employment. Only 25.3 per cent of graduates get into employment within six months of leaving university, while 34.7 per cent take between six and 12 months.

Lack of work experience is identified as the most significant barrier to employment, followed by limited job opportunities and skills mismatch. There is a gap between university training and employers' expectations, since some graduates lack the practical experience and workplace skills needed to contribute immediately. For some graduates, the challenge is not that university failed to provide useful skills, but that they had to acquire additional competencies once they entered the workplace.

Strengthening internships, industrial attachments, work-integrated learning, laboratory training and project-based learning would give students opportunities to develop practical competencies. Such programmes should be properly supervised and designed in consultation with industry players, to ensure students gain relevant workplace experience rather than simply fulfil academic requirements.

Moreover, universities should strengthen their relationships with employers. Involving industry players in curriculum development, mentorship, workplace training and graduate recruitment could help bridge the gap between academic training and labour-market expectations, allowing universities to prepare students according to industry demands.

However, the responsibility should not rest entirely on universities. The government should also address the issue of limited job opportunities and improve the availability of employment, and employers have a role to play by providing opportunities. Some graduates have the required skills and qualifications but continue to struggle to secure jobs because opportunities are limited.

As another group of graduates prepares to leave university, the question should go beyond how many students have successfully completed their studies. Universities must recognise that their responsibility does not end with awarding certificates. The real measure of their success should also be reflected in how effectively they prepare students for life beyond the lecture halls.

Shantel Mutheu is a Media student at Rongo University