University of Nairobi Chancellor, Patrick Verkooijen /FILE
The University of Nairobi Chancellor, Patrick Verkooijen, has expressed concern over the rising unemployment rates among young people in the country, shedding light on the challenges graduates from tertiary institutions face in securing employment.
“Out of the one million graduates this country produces annually, only one in four secures formal employment. But what about the rest? Where do they go?” Verkooijen questioned.
“Some took to the streets, as we witnessed last year. Others managed to reach Europe. But if that trickle turns into a flood, no wall will be high enough to stop it.”
He urged the government to harness the skills of the youth to address the unemployment crisis, stressing the importance of leveraging Africa’s demographic dividend to create sustainable opportunities.
The Chancellor also raised concerns over the alternative paths graduates are forced to take to earn a living, citing the rise of ghostwriting among students.
“The unfortunate irony is that many students in Kenya are already working—not for themselves or their peers, but writing high-level academic papers for Ivy League students in the United States just to make ends meet,” he stated.
Despite these challenges, he commended the government’s efforts to address the underlying issues while championing skill development in universities citing the launch of the Big 5 agenda in universities in Kenya.
The objective of the Big 5 agenda for universities includes introducing specialized short courses, certificates, and master’s programs targeting critical areas such as entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, leadership, and health research.
