Benjamin Franklin says that investing in knowledge pays the best interest. Overtime, this interest has been equated to well-paying jobs, big cars, ultra-modern houses, high cooperate investments and many other material assets that depict a high class. This is why many people take loans and struggle to attain the best education from well-established institutions.
The job market, has however, seen many people pursue their careers based on the availability of jobs rather than their degrees. Out of desperation, many people take up jobs they never specialised in: an accountant becomes a Sales Manager, an engineer a Human Resource Manager and a medic, a Head of Communications.
In Australia, an award was recently given to a Sales Manager for his great performance in the industry and yet he studied Geospatial Engineering. In Kenya, most positions held by individuals are not necessarily linked to their education. Take for example our very own Amina Mohammed. She is a lawyer by profession but is currently holding the position of Cabinet Secretary for Education. Due to the high demand of sales and high unemployment in the country, many graduates of law, finance, engineering are now venturing into the sales industry.
The lack of jobs forces graduates to fill any vacant opportunity that presents itself, help them achieve their goals and make ends meet.
Statistics indicate that the unemployment rate in Kenya currently stands at 26.21%. Many may argue a higher number.
Notwithstanding, parental influence has also been cited as one major cause of the disparity in the education and job market. Parents tend to influence their children choice of career or pressurize them to take any available job.
Mr. Njuguna decides, for example, that because he is a lecturer and his wife a primary teacher in a private school, his son Jomo should follow suit to build a good home for himself and buy a better car than his. After all, education will always be important and so will teachers.
Although they say education must not simply teach work (it must teach life), the ultimate goal for many is a well-paying job.
Singapore has tried to bridge the gap by doing an analysis of the job market, analyse the needs the country may have in the future and suggest courses students should pursue in university to mitigate the possible gap in the market. This was a step towards ensuring that unemployment remains low. This, however, brings out the question of passion, following one’s dream and the subsequent impact it may have on mental health.