In Kenya, we often hear the onslaught of commentators criticising higher education institutions for teaching programmes that are out of step with industry needs. From doctoral candidates who cannot produce internationally publishable research to undergraduates who know the theory but lack practical skills to TVET alumni who need the latest technologies in respective industries, we need a reawakening of how academia links with industry.
A novel yet logical approach stems from starting with the result in mind: the demand for labour. Let us shift to a demand-driven approach where extensive industry engagement determines much of the skills taught within our higher education institutions. Such dramatic shifts have reached American community colleges, the equivalent of our Kenyan TVETs.
