Graduants’ concerns
As several universities prepare to hold graduation ceremonies in the coming weeks, several graduants say they have nothing to celebrate as they have to battle the high rate of joblessness in the country, which is depressing.
During a graduation ceremony at Zetech University, Mangu Campus, most of the graduants said while it’s relieving to graduate and begin a new phase in life, they understand what awaits them in having to compete with millions of others for the few available jobs in the country.
Enocentus Wambua, who graduated with a Degree in IT said joblessness among graduates makes pursuing university education less attractive having spent the families’ fortunes to pursue the degrees. “Only a few of us are celebrating because we know what awaits us. The thought of graduating to stay jobless for years is mentally draining. We have seen several comrades sink into depression after being jobless despite completing university with marketable degrees,” he said.
Others like by Irene Kimani say she plans to further her studies to become more marketable, since getting a job at the moment seemed an uphill task. “At the moment, it seems degrees are not marketable and that’s why I need to further my studies. Others will have to become more innovative or enterprising to make it,” she said.
Wisdom Njoroge and Cecile Okoye, also graduates, highlighted the need for institutions of higher learning to partner with the industry to help in job placements. The graduants called on the government to come up with policies that could create employment opportunities for its youth.
The University’s Vice Chancellor Prof Njenga Munene called on institutions of higher learning to be innovative and offer marketable academic programmes to enable their students beat joblessness. He said they have moved towards offering market driven programmes to provide students with skills to become innovative and explore self-employment opportunities as well as enhance their employability.
“Over the years, we have been offering academic programmes that are marketable like Computer engineering, IT, nursing among others to enable students become entrepreneurs. Youth unemployment is a big challenge that universities and other stakeholders should help in addressing,” he said.
Some 2,556 students graduated in various disciplines during the ceremony at the university’s Juja Campus.
