Create jobs, graduates urged

Kenya Institute of Professional Studies graduands celebrate on attaining different diplomas in a colourful ceremony at All Saints Cathedral last week. The Federation of Kenya Employers Jaqueline Mugo urged them to be job creators. PHOTO GEORGE ORIDO

Nairobi; Kenya: The Federation of Kenya Employers Executive Director Jacqueline Mugo has urged graduates to create more jobs and reduce unemployment.

Speaking during the graduation of 400 students at the Kenya Institute of Professional Studies (Kips) last week, Ms Mugo advised graduands to be more innovative and employ the skills acquired to become self-reliant.

“The space you are filling in the Kenyan economy is very important. In the recent past, we have been crazy about converting every institution of learning into a university,” said Ms Mugo, who urged Kips not to go the same way of converting into a university.

Instead, she asked players to strengthen training and boost human capital for technical skills. Ms Mugo’s sentiments were echoed by Sheikh Subkii Ahmed, who said, “The beauty of education is to reduce ignorance and through that, we are empowered to offer solutions to humanity.”

The two noted that the era when jobs were the main focus for higher education is gone, adding that what remains is for graduates to be more innovative to create jobs instead.

Kips Board Chairman James Muthaka noted: “In view of this, we have embarked on repositioning ourselves as a Vocational Education and Training institution with the aim of equipping our students with competencies as demanded by the labour market."

Eldoret University Vice Chancellor Prof Teresa Akenga criticised the Commission of University Education for its directive to put a stop to universities and colleges collaborations in academic programmes beginning December this year.

“It is in such collaborations that colleges develop capacities gradually to become full-fledged universities,“ she said in her keynote speech during the graduation.