Government Unveils Plan to Turn Universities and Colleges Into Recruitment Centres as Employers Raise Alarm Over Graduate Skills
The government has unveiled a major plan to transform Kenya’s universities, technical institutions and colleges into recruitment centres in a sweeping bid to tackle youth unemployment and bridge the widening gap between education and the labour market.
Labour and Skills Development Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime announced the proposal during the fourth edition of the Skill Up Africa programme on Wednesday, July 15, saying employers have consistently complained that many graduates leave higher learning institutions without the practical skills required in today’s workplace.
The proposal marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to higher education, with authorities seeking to strengthen links between learning institutions and employers so that students can transition directly into employment after graduation.
Speaking at the event, Mwadime said the government had already begun engaging employers to identify weaknesses in existing training programmes and redesign curricula to reflect the realities of the modern job market.
“We want to have discussions with employers so they can tell us where the gaps are, and immediately after those discussions, we reform the curriculum so that we prepare our young people comprehensively and sufficiently for the job market,” Mwadime said.
The Principal Secretary stressed that the government wants to end the cycle where graduates spend years pursuing academic qualifications only to discover that employers require additional training before offering them jobs.
“We do not want our young people to spend years in school and then be told they must undergo further training before they can be employed,” he added.
Bridging the skills gap
The announcement comes against the backdrop of growing concern over youth unemployment and underemployment in Kenya, where thousands of graduates leave universities and colleges each year facing stiff competition for a limited number of jobs.
Although official unemployment statistics have fluctuated in recent years, labour experts have repeatedly warned that many young Kenyans remain either unemployed, underemployed or working in positions that do not match their qualifications.
The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) has previously warned that more than one million young people enter the labour market annually, with many lacking the practical and technical skills employers are seeking.
Industry leaders have argued that rapid technological changes and evolving workplace demands require continuous updates to training programmes if graduates are to remain competitive both locally and internationally.
The government’s latest proposal seeks to address these concerns by fostering closer collaboration between employers and institutions of higher learning, ensuring academic programmes produce graduates with skills aligned to industry expectations.
If implemented, universities, technical colleges and vocational institutions could increasingly serve not only as centres of learning but also as direct recruitment hubs where employers identify and hire qualified graduates.
Part of wider government reforms
The initiative also forms part of broader government reforms aimed at improving efficiency and accountability across public institutions.
In recent months, the government has intensified efforts to streamline public administration, including launching a crackdown on payroll irregularities after internal audits reportedly uncovered ghost workers, minors and other questionable entries within the public payroll system.
Officials say such reforms, alongside education and labour market changes, are intended to improve public service delivery while creating better employment opportunities for Kenya’s growing youth population.
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