This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
Published on May 7, 2020, a study by CPS International found that many university graduates in Kenya are pricing themselves out of the job market.
With a high youth unemployment rate, lack of experience works against fresh graduates. However, paradoxically, students who acquire experience before graduating tend to have a higher premium to companies, making them less affordable.
According to the report, 84.8 percent of employers prefer hiring people they will not spend much on training. This means that graduates who are more affordable have a higher employability rate compared to those who are too expensive to recruit.
While many take internships with companies and government agencies hoping to increase their chances of securing jobs, the study shows that only 26.1 percent of employers look for such graduates. Top on the list of employers' expectations alongside work experience are skills, hobbies, and talents.
Some 54.3 percent of employers also said the reputation and ranking of the university applicants attended has an effect on hiring. However, perception and prestige attached to some universities and courses make some graduates demand high salaries, making them unattractive to employers.
Some 87.4 percent of students surveyed said employers should consider the relevance of the course to the nature of work sought. The study also found that 19.1 percent of the recruits were non-Kenyan graduates with at least three-month experience, compared to 10 percent of non-Kenyans with no experience.
