Worst/useless/unmarketable & Flooded Courses in Kenya

Why would an education system  allow unmarketable courses to be trained in our colleges and universities? What is it in for them?

See Also Marketable Short Courses in Kenya

If Kenyan graduates are not getting jobs, what is the purpose of wasting all that time and money on education? Please don’t tell me entrepreneurship, and before you contort your face, allow me to say a few things here. I know, entrepreneurship is the only way out of the rat race. It is excellent that  our country is really pushing for people to create employment for themselves. Everybody would like that, but there is a process before we get there. We need Start up capital , proper mentorship and coaching, relevant skills,  reliable networks and connections. Unfortunately, we don’t acquire any of the above in school. We only graduate with  a theoretical understanding of the subject matter, and no practical skills.  This is because our lecturers barely understand what is required in the job market and most schools have no proper equipment for the required practicals. 

In a nutshell, most people need employment first before diverting to entrepreneurship. It is also important to note that  it is not everybody that has entrepreneurial spirit.

 The sad reality is that sometimes students are assigned  these useless  courses forcefully. You apply for one courses, and you are called to do another. They also  make the process of changing this courses very complicated in that you are forced to do the one they chose for you, or you proceed to Parallel learning where you have the liberty to choose a course of your choice.

Without further ado. Let us dive right in  to some of these useless courses before another person becomes a victim of the same.

• Political Science

Please don’t be duped by the humongous name. You’ll be compelled to choose menial occupations or to suffer in unemployment. Only enroll in this course if you have the necessary connections and protection.

• Business Information technology

You cannot enroll in a lukewarm course and hope to land a job. You are in neither IT nor business. Such a title or occupation does not exist. These courses were developed by startups to draw in students. Potential  employers are greatly confused by it. I would suggest computer science, information technology (pure), and information communication technology (ICT). They are marketable.

• Journalism and Mass Media.

This course is not as marketable as it used to be . Actually, people with natural skills and talents are more considered than the ones with certificates. Also, traditional media has been experiencing instability due to the advent of digital media  like blogs, podcast, online TV stations, YouTube, and similar outlets. Instead of wasting your money on time, choose a platform that you feel will serve you best and learn on the job. Over time, you will be earning more than you can imagine.

• Counselling and psychology

Kenyan market is the worst for this kind of profession. Most people don’t even know the services offered by a psychologist. Of late there have been a lot of campaigns on mental health. The future for this course may be bright if Kenyans actually adopt the habit of using the services of psychologists. As of now, please don’t take this course. 

• Chemical Engineering

A chemical Engineer sounds like an important person, just like the rest of Engineers, but guess what? Kenya does not know what to do with them. There are no employment opportunities. If you are passionate about it,  please fly to Russia or America and study there.  It is highly marketable in those countries.

• Actuarial science

This is a good course. It focuses on the prediction and management of risks using economics, mathematics, and statistics. A statistical model is used by an actuary to calculate the likelihood of an event occurring.  I am sure it would feel nice to take up such a course, but be warned, as a fresher you will struggle to land a job. The market is flooded. 

• BCOM

Although the degree is quite sort out by employers, the market is flooded. Almost everyone is a BCOM graduate. Please take a different direction. Forget BCOM

• Bachelor of science mathematics (pure & Applied)

Let me warn you up front that a BSc mathematics degree will not get you anywhere without a supplementary credentials like CFA, ACCA, or CIA. With the above you can be a financial analyst, investment analyst, or you can join the audit field. You can also pursue masters and phD to be a lecturer. The degree alone is useless and there is no occupation with a title mathematician.

1. g)  Theology

The fact that students are still taking this course in Kenya surprises me. Please, who will hire you? Take it for personal knowledge and for the purposes of gaining new perspectives. If you want to start your own church it can also be of great help.

I would advise anyone considering a higher education to conduct a thorough market analysis of the skills that are relevant  and in demand by employers. Additionally, take on as many projects and internships as you can. To increase your competitiveness, you can also enroll in complementary short courses like CPA or any other that is relevant to your field.