All Universities and Tertiary institutions are required to open career service offices to address the needs of the youth in matters career choices as well as job market demands.
The Chief Administrative Secretary and Principal Secretary Ministry of Education, Prof. Collette Suda said on Monday that career service offices should be opened there are non and strengthened where they exist to enable them address the needs of students and guide them on how to select jobs and create opportunities for self employment.
Addressing participants from Universities and Tertiary Institutions attending the second cohort of training of the office of career services at the Kenya Education
Management Institute (KEMI), the CAS said that through the office of career service, students will also be incorporated through internship which will help them gain experience and exposure for their job market.
“The office of career service will focus more on empowering and equipping student with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the need of the market,” said Suda.
She further added that the office of career service targets to rebrand the office of the dean of students in universities and TVET to deal more with the emotional aspects of students.
Ministry’s policy of 100 percent transition is aimed at expanding the scope of learning to enable all learners to access education and empower them with skills and knowledge relevant to the industry and the country’s development agenda.
She noted that the office of career services will be extended to secondary schools and private tertiary institution and this will require that in future institutions establish career office service before being registered.
On the recent happenings in the Universities, the CAS/PS said, “it is unfortunate that young people are exposed to so much hence the need for parents to create time for them, discuss issues so as to avoid unfortunate incidences such as loss of lives”.
The Director Kenya Education Management Institute, Grace Gacara said the Ministry and KEMI will establish a monitoring mechanism in all universities and Tertiary Institutions to establish if they have a vibrant Office of Career Services. This follows the Ministry’s policy requiring all institutions to establish such offices.
The office of career service was first initiated on January by then Cabinet Secretary of Education, Amb. Amina Mohamed.
By Douglas Langat
