Universities to Upgrade Curriculum
Several universities in Kenya are partnering with private organizations to revamp their curriculum and prepare students for the evolving job market.
Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre will collaborate with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to review its Computer Science degree programme, with the aim of making it more relevant to the needs of the industry.
The curriculum review programme will also be extended to other Kenyan universities offering technology courses. The partnership also seeks to address skill gaps among software engineering students during technical interviews.
Many technology firms are on the lookout for talent but are unable to hire directly from universities because fresh graduates are often equipped with theoretical knowledge instead of the application skills required in software engineering.
JKUAT Deputy VC (Academic Affairs), Robert Kinyua, explained that the programme aims to make scholars more marketable as the demand for tech-based services rises.
Graduates need specialized skills for the job market, and private companies’ involvement in the certification process can help achieve that.
The new approach will ensure that the skills students obtain meet the actual requirements of partner companies and save private firms the time and costs of retraining new graduates.
Apart from Microsoft’s partnership with JKUAT, other universities in Kenya have also established collaborations with private firms.
Kenyatta University partnered with Kodris Africa to offer short courses on coding and computational thinking, while Technical University of Mombasa announced a working relationship with Korean electric carmaker CEVO Mobility and Gyeonggi University of Science and Technology.
Google Kenya and the Ministry of Education also recently partnered on an Android Developer Skills masterplan that targets 10,000 students in 50 Technical, Vocational, and Educational institutions.
These joint programs enable students to hone their skills by building real-world solutions under the guidance of industry professionals. Incubator programs have even seen learners offered roles in companies even before they graduate.
However, Prof Kinyua noted that such activities can be costly, and the reduction in public university funding by the government could make it difficult to deliver quality education even as universities seek alternative ways of generating income.
Overall, the partnerships between universities and private organizations in Kenya aim to fine-tune students’ skills by giving them access to updated resources, courses, and assessments that can help them gain hands-on tech skills useful for their careers.
These collaborations also help close the gap between theoretical knowledge and application skills, making graduates more employable in the ever-evolving job market.
Universities to Upgrade Curriculum
