Bridging ICT skills gaps in universities key in job creation

The ICT sector in Kenya has registered substantial growth over the last five years, and has been identified as one of they key drivers for economic growth in the country.

Operators and service providers in the sector represent a significant investment in the economy, offering thousands of employment opportunities to Kenyans while contributing significantly to the country’s GDP.

On their part, universities and other institutions of higher learning play a crucial role in training skilled manpower for all sectors of the economy, ICT included.

Indeed, universities the world over have are known to be at the driving seat of innovation and research, providing the much needed skills by industry for social economic development.

Sadly, our universities have not been able to keep abreast with the ever changing demands of the workplace, and most continue churning out graduates who have to be re-trained all over again to fit in industry.

Analysts trace this shortfall of the required manpower to the disconnect between what our universities teach and the skills employers need.

The feedback from employers is that graduates emerging from our local universities are not able to handle the fast-paced ICT industry, as they are trained on outdated technologies.

Talent

And due to the lack of IT skills demanded at the workplace, many university graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to be hired after leaving university.

Because of the rapid globalisation and advances in technology, Kenya cannot afford to train substandard graduates who will not be able to compete locally and internationally in offering ICT skills and services.

Short of a complete overhaul of the training curriculum, the only way universities are going to bridge the gaps in ICT training and the requirements of the industry is by partnering with industries to confer students with the requisite IT skills and specialisation being demanded at the workplace.

This is why the Knowledge For Life project has partnered with the University of Nairobi, Strathmore University, Kenyatta University and JKUAT to offer free training to students to equip them with the necessary skills being demanded by industry.

Indeed, time has come for all the stakeholders in the higher education sector to join hands and tackle the skills deficiency problem to avoid sending out to the job market graduates trained under IT environments not aligned to the dynamic ICT Industry.

Ms Macharia is the programme manager, Knowledge For Life, part of Seven Seas Technologies.