Varsity students ‘lack interest’ in business
What you need to know:
- MKU founder and chairman Simon Gicharu challenged university students to embrace entrepreneurship and embark on job creation rather than relying on white collar jobs
Academicians have expressed concern over the lack of interest in business courses among university students.
Prof Peter Wanderi of Kenyatta University said the trend is worrying and cited Nation Media Group-sponsored ‘The Next Big Thing’ scholarship, which has received minimal response from students.
He said the country’s best bet in tackling unemployment lay in innovative business ideas and not formal employment, hence the need to train more entrepreneurs.
“Academic training in all Kenyan universities is one of the best in the world, but unfortunately few of our students are keen on entrepreneurship. At KU we rarely get any applicants for business development courses. Students must be made to get a different mind-set,” he said during Mount Kenya University’s Enterprise Academy graduation ceremony in Thika on Thursday.
Similar sentiments were expressed by MKU founder and chairman Simon Gicharu, who challenged university students to embrace entrepreneurship and embark on job creation rather than relying on white collar jobs.
“Entrepreneurship is the surest way of dealing with the high unemployment among the youth in the country. Our youth should stop whining that there are no jobs and instead try their hands in business,” he said.
The occasion at MKU main campus in Thika on Thursday marked the first class of the university enterprise academy established at the end of last year to promote entrepreneurship among learners.
Nine apprentices were awarded with certificates, having undergone a three-month training on entrepreneurial skills and mentorship.
Each of the graduands receiving a grant of Sh800,000 to start them off in business.
They were picked through a competitive process in which students were required to submit business plans of their preferred ventures before admission to the academy.
Mr Gicharu, who is the Geothermal Development Company chairman, appealed to the government to create an enabling environment for the youth to do business to eradicate the high unemployment in the country.
He said the university would spend Sh40 million over the next five years to train more students at the enterprise academy.
