Only 5 out of 74 universities have career service offices

Students arrive for the Universities and Tertiary Institutions Career Fair at the Rift Valley Sports Club in Nakuru County on September 27, 2019. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The five that have set up the careers office are University of Nairobi, Moi University, Mount Kenya University, Strathmore and USIU-Africa.
  • The other 69 institutions are yet to set up the offices despite training by the ministry on how to go about it.
  • In 2018, then Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed gave all universities and technical institutions three months to set up career offices to support students who were leaving Form Four.
  • According to the ministry's policy, the OCS at each institution is required every year to recruit high school students and consider admitting them.

Only five out of 74 universities have established an Office of Career Services (OCS) two years after the Education ministry issued the directive.

The five are University of Nairobi, Moi University, Mount Kenya University, Strathmore and USIU-Africa.

The other institutions are yet to set up the offices despite training by the ministry on how to go about it.

A report by the ministry, tabled in Parliament on Thursday, states that the ministry, in collaboration with the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI), trained three cohorts of officers from universities and tertiary institutions.

“A total of 113 institutions, which included 50 universities and 83 technical and vocational institutions, were trained," the 2019 progress report says.

"A total of 237 participants 90 from universities and 137 from TVET were trained and certified."

REQUIREMENT

In 2018, then Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed gave all universities and technical institutions three months to set up career offices to support students who were leaving Form Four.

According to the ministry's policy, the OCS at each institution is required every year to recruit high school students and consider admitting them.

“In so doing, the office will provide details on various aspects of student life at each institution, that will include testimonials from current students, parents, alumni and stuff," the policy states.

"The office will use informative brochures at recruitment events, including most attractive features at the institution and its programme, with the name, phone number and email of a specific recruitment person for prospective students to contact directly."

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Other core responsibilities of the office include partnering with industry members to provide internship, apprenticeship, training and job opportunities for students; and providing an avenue to map availability of market relevant-skills.

It will also propose change or reinforcement of curricula and training to meet job market demands and link students with the private and public sectors.

The office will further provide entrepreneurship training, seminars, conferences and innovative engagement models for independent thought and invention; work with students on personal and professional branding; and provide a space for mentorship and leadership development.