Skills gap leaves graduates unprepared for jobs

Kisii University students celebrate during their graduation ceremony.[File,Standard]

It has emerged that a growing disconnect between what learners are taught in schools and the skills required in the workplace has resulted in graduates lacking the skills demanded by employers.

And now, stakeholders are calling for closer collaboration between education institutions and employers.

Education stakeholders said closer links between schools, training institutions and industry were needed to give learners practical exposure and ensure education programmes respond to workplace requirements.

The stakeholders said employers should be involved in identifying the skills needed in the labour market and in shaping training programmes offered by education institutions.

They said the involvement of employers would help learners understand how knowledge acquired in classrooms is applied in actual workplaces.

The stakeholders said learners should be given more opportunities to interact with employers through internships, apprenticeships, mentorship programmes, workplace visits and other forms of work-based learning.

They said such programmes would expose learners to workplace practices and allow them to acquire practical experience before completing their studies.

Speaking during the forum, Kenya National STEM Learning Ecosystem lead and Teachers Service Commission Officer Dr. Tom Mboya said teachers need a better understanding of industry practices to equip learners with relevant skills.

"The convening is an opportunity for the teachers to learn from the industry, for the teachers to look at the skill set that are important for their classroom practice," said Dr. Mboya.

He said the meeting was designed to help teachers understand how industries operate and translate that knowledge into classroom learning.

"We came up with this decision to come together to understand how the industry operates and what are the skill sets that are required then also to help us see how we can match that knowledge into a classroom authentic task,” added Dr. Mboya.

According to Dr. Mboya, teachers have a critical role in preparing learners for future careers by exposing them to real world work environments through classroom experiences.

"Teachers are supposed to nurture learners for the future. They are supposed to create a future ready workforce and that should start at school level at classroom level, by understanding what it is, by helping the learners to try and mimic how that industry looks like," he added.

He noted that one of the biggest challenges facing Kenya's education system is the disconnect between what is taught in schools and what happens in industry.

"We found that the gap there is the lack of connection between the classroom and the industry. The industry is changing so much and there are so many things that are coming up such AI, industrialization that the teachers are not aware of," he added.

Dr. Mboya added that exposing teachers to industry practices would enable them to incorporate emerging technologies and workplace realities into classroom instruction while also preparing learners for community service learning under the Competency Based Education curriculum.

"The community requires the most modern skill set that exists," he said.

He also challenged industry players to work more closely with teachers by appreciating the realities of classroom teaching.

"We also wanted the industry to appreciate how the teachers operate and the challenges they experience in classroom for them to create space for the teachers in their industry, in their planning and also in supporting the teachers' innovations that they are doing in school as they prepare the learners."

Despite ongoing reforms, Dr. Mboya admitted the current link between schools and industry remains weak.

"On a scale of 0 to 10, I would put it at 1," he said, explaining that "sometimes what the teachers are saying is not what is experienced in the industry," while "the learners know much more about the industry than the teacher himself."

Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) Chief Executive Officer Justus Wabuyabo said Kenya's planned nuclear power programme will require a wide range of skilled professionals and artisans.

"As Kenya moves towards building its first nuclear power plant in Siaya, we are going to have partnerships with local universities to be training grounds for the nuclear workers," he said.

Mr. Justus said practical exposure to such industries would help bridge the gap between classroom theory and real life application.

"What this meeting has shown is that in Kenya we have a lot of theory being taught. We have our students being taught about a lot of things in chemistry and physics but they never have an opportunity to implement it," he said.

He explained that a nuclear power plant would allow learners to experience scientific concepts in practice.

"Students will be able to see how this physics actually is in operation. Because with nuclear plants, you see physics and chemistry coming together to work to generate electricity and that will be a practical aspect of learning."

The stakeholders said industry participation in training would help institutions ensure that students acquire competencies that correspond with the equipment, technologies and processes used in workplaces.

They also called for more structured apprenticeship programmes, saying these would provide learners with opportunities to combine classroom instruction with practical training.

The stakeholders said employers participating in such programmes would also have an opportunity to identify potential employees and understand the capabilities of learners before they enter the labour market.

They said the Ministry of Education, education institutions, employers and industry organisations should establish mechanisms for regular engagement on skills requirements and training.

The stakeholders said the engagement should also include monitoring the outcomes of partnerships between education institutions and employers to establish whether learners were acquiring the required competencies.

They said the links should cover different levels of education and training and should be adjusted as labour market requirements change.

The stakeholders said closer collaboration between education institutions and employers would provide learners with opportunities to acquire both academic knowledge and practical workplace experience.

They said the approach would require sustained participation by schools, training institutions, employers and government agencies in preparing learners for entry into the workforce.