New technology to guide career choices

Evelyn Muthemba is taken through scanning process by Robert Ombiri (right) deputy principal Gift and Talent clinic where the body is scanned with a specialized machine which transmits images to experts in the United States of America for in-depth analysis of the brain in order to establish once gifts and talents. [Photo: Kennedy Gachuhi, Standard].

A new technology devised in the United States to help the youth realise their strengths for self-actualisation has been adopted in Kenya.

The Kenya Peer Counselors Association in collaboration with the Gates Education Group from the US have established a gift and talent clinic in Nakuru which provides a platform for parents to work with professional counselors in testing abilities of their children.

The analysis is being conducted by counsellors and psychotherapists in a bid to assist youths devote themselves and resources to specific disciplines.

Clinic founder John Muriithi says the technology for children aged between four years and teenagehood.

“It is at this age bracket that the brain of the child is fully developed and the retention rate for knowledge is high. At the clinic we are able to study a child’s inactive strength and weaknesses and predetermine a child’s most suitable career,” Dr Muriithi said.

He said timely identification of abilities among learners helps to enrich the country’s human resource pool as higher learning institutions train the right man power for specific careers.

Wrong choices

“Training the right people into the right profession motivates innovation within the profession. Wrong career choice is a great challenge in tapping the abilities of a person,” he said.

At the clinic, the clients are subjected to a psychometric test used by psychologists to measure mental capability and behavioral style. This is followed by machine screening where an expert scans the client’s body with a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) machine.

This technique relies on cerebral blood flow and neuronal activation on an area of the brain in use after which the images undergo an in-depth analysis.

“It takes a week for the experts in the US to send back a comprehensive analysis of the client’s ability and a recommendation for a specific area where users can pursue their goals,” Muriithi said.

In June 2014, the Inter-University Council for East Africa released a survey that placed 51 per cent of Kenyan graduates unfit for the job market due to enrollment into wrong professions. Dr Cecilia Muthami, a psychotherapist at the clinic, said most university students are pursuing careers out of their excitement with the profession but not according to their abilities.

She termed the clinic as an oasis of hope to the young generation towards building successful engagements in education or extracurricular investment.

The clinic is a prior support to the recommendations by the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) that all schools should have a trained Career Master handling guidance and counseling for the students.

“Career choices often become a barrier in achieving one’s dreams. Most schools are yet to establish vibrant career guidance platforms, a gap we are seeking to bridge through the clinic,” said Muthami.

The clinic which is gaining popularity in the county is seeing an average of twelve clients per day.

Saturday Standard caught up with Evelyn Muthemba, 20, at the clinic last week. Muthemba completed her high school studies last year.

Tough choices

Her decision to seek assistance from the clinic was after she realised that she could not pick a pathway to a gratifying career from her short courses in computer science, psychology and community nursing.

“I have been going through a tough time deciding what career path to take to succeed in the highly competitive market. I have faith that with the assistance of the professionals I will wisely choose where to head,” Ms Muthemba said.