Are you employable? My simple answer to this question would be an astounding yes. Let me explain.
Bridget N. O’Brien once said that employability is much more than getting a job and keeping it. It’s about learning, adaptability, and the ability to navigate change.
I walked into the gates of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation as a rookie in March 2016. That morning, I talked with my father about what it meant to have a job, an 8-5 as we call it. My father told me I should forget how I jostled to get in and focus on how I would adapt, learn, and navigate the newsroom.
This was not my first rodeo. I had interviewed people before, knew what Final Cut was, and knew how to find where the story was. I had interned just a couple of blocks away from the Broadcasting House, so I had a pretty good idea of where I was.
However, I soon realized that being employed is different. I was no longer the intern who could walk in late or leave early at will. Here, I had to justify why I was being paid.
Anyone who has worked in a newsroom will tell you that it’s all about timelines and symbiosis. If the bulletin is at 1 pm, it must go on air. The viewer is waiting for it. To make this possible, soft skills come into play. Like a pack of wild dogs, the newsroom comes alive, and the team comes together to deliver the news.
I chose journalism because I knew my strengths and weaknesses. Mine was a perfect landing. Many were stuck in careers that were chosen for them, while others were forced to settle for jobs that offered immediate financial independence.
The downside of the latter is that it entrenches skills gaps. Daystar University Vice-Chancellor Professor Laban Ayiro questions whether we are truly visionary in employment. “Vision should transcend salary. Commitment to employment is vital, yet current students struggle with it, often moving from one organization to another,” says Professor Ayiro.
Phillip Pande has dedicated his youth to training young African professionals and employers on ways to bridge the skills gap. “Employers are very specific in their pursuit of the right human resources. You may want to apply for a job that suits your educational background, but you lack the soft skills needed to perfectly fit in that role,” says Pande.
“There is also a mismatch between education and job market needs. There is a significant gap between the skills taught in educational institutions and the requirements of the job market. Graduates often lack practical skills and real-world experience,” Pande adds.
At 19, Yvonne Naliaka, an Entrepreneurship Student at the Cooperative University, already knows what it means to be out of touch. “Studying a course I am not passionate about has been a significant challenge. It is crucial to entrench career services at the early stages of learning. Parents and institutions must play an active role in guiding students towards courses they are passionate about to ensure their long-term success and satisfaction,” she says.
“At Corporate Career Academy, we understand the dangers of the skills gap and how it contributes to unemployment. We have continuously engaged students and employers on ways to build symbiosis for the betterment of the job market,” says Phillip Pande.
“In October this year, the Corporate Career Academy will once again convene the East African Employability Summit. The summit is a groundbreaking platform converging diverse stakeholders to rethink the future of the East African Community region in the heat of the unemployment crisis compounded by the youth bulge and employability skills disparities.”
The Academy believes that the surest way to answer the question of what makes the youth and fresh graduates employable and entrepreneurial lies in the diverse stakeholders’ interventions and concerted efforts inclined towards reskilling, retooling, and holistic training with a disruption of AI and the uncertainty of the future of work in mind.
