Kenyan university graduates are waiting an average of 11.6 months to land their first job as they lack some essential skills sought by employers, a new report by the Commission for University Education (CUE) shows.
According to the report titled Employability of Graduates in Kenya: A Study of Perceptions and Expectations of Employers, lack of work experience was identified as the most significant barrier to employment, followed by limited job opportunities, skills mismatch, inadequate professional networks, and insufficient labour market information.
The findings point to a widening gap between university qualifications and the practical skills employers expect from new recruits. The study found that while graduates generally felt well prepared for work, employers were more cautious about their readiness.
Further, employers identified communication skills, problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, time management, workplace readiness, and digital competencies as areas where graduates demonstrate the greatest weaknesses.
“Importantly, these deficiencies extend beyond technical knowledge and point to broader concerns regarding behavioural competencies, professional conduct, and the ability to function effectively within organisational environments. Therefore, graduate employability challenges are not primarily attributable to deficiencies in academic knowledge but rather to limitations in practical competence, workplace adaptation, and application of knowledge,” the report reads.
Commission for University Education (CUE) CEO Prof Mike Kuria.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
The study found that four in 10 university graduates take more than a year to secure their first job and that only 25.3 per cent of graduates secure employment within six months of graduation. 34.7 per cent found employment within six to 12 months, 26.7 per cent took one to two years, while 13.3 per cent waited more than two years to enter the workplace.
“Analysis of the empirical responses indicates that the majority of graduate respondents felt well prepared (52 percent) for the labour market, while a considerable proportion (34 percent) reported being very well prepared. A smaller group (14 percent) indicated they were prepared, and notably, no respondent reported feeling unprepared. This suggests an overall positive perception of readiness and confidence among graduates in their transition into employment,” reads the report.
Employers, however, painted a more cautious picture, describing graduates as having strong foundational knowledge but lacking the practical experience and workplace readiness needed to immediately perform their duties.
“We don’t just look at the degree. What matters is whether the graduate can actually perform the tasks required without constant supervision,” one employer is reported to have responded.
Another added: “Most graduates have the theory, but we need people who can apply it immediately in the workplace.”
The graduates expressed similar concerns, acknowledging the gap between what they learned in university and what employers expect:
“At university we learned concepts, but when you get to work, you realise employers expect practical skills and experience,” one is reported to have said.
In the manufacturing sector, employers reported that graduates could take six to 12 months to become fully productive, with additional workplace training required to bridge skills gaps.
“Employers generally assessed graduates as foundationally strong but not fully work-ready. While some described graduates as above average or moderately prepared, they indicated that many still require close supervision and additional training upon entry into the workplace. In certain sectors, such as hospitality, preparedness was estimated at around 60 percent, while in others, such as manufacturing, graduates were reported to take between six and twelve months to become fully productive,” reads the report.
Four in 10 university graduates take more than a year to secure a job.
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The study found that graduates generally rated themselves highly in teamwork, professional ethics, communication, adaptability and time management, but acknowledged weaknesses in practical workplace application, advanced digital competencies and workplace problem-solving.
Their overall self-assessment of competencies averaged 4.30 out of five, with teamwork scoring 4.42, professional ethics 4.38, communication 4.36, adaptability 4.34, time management 4.28, technical skills and problem-solving 4.24 each, and ICT skills 4.12.
Employers cited weaknesses in professional writing, presentations, interpersonal communication and the ability to articulate ideas. Problem-solving and critical thinking followed, while time management — including punctuality, meeting deadlines and workplace discipline — was another major concern
Other weaknesses identified include practical technical competence, digital literacy, emotional intelligence, initiative, independent decision-making, career awareness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Employers ranked ethical conduct and professional behaviour as the most important competency, scoring it 4.57 out of five, followed by discipline-specific technical knowledge at 4.50 and time management and reliability at 4.40.
The biggest gaps between employer expectations and graduate performance were recorded in problem-solving and critical thinking, with a 1.7-point gap, followed by communication and time management, each with a 1.5-point gap.
The study also found that employers are increasingly looking beyond university qualifications, with specialised technical skills and professional certifications becoming more important, particularly in rapidly changing sectors.
As employers struggle to find graduates who are immediately work-ready, many are taking on the additional cost of training new recruits.
The report says that although internships and industrial attachments are important bridges between university and employment, but their quality and accessibility remain a challenge to students.
70 per cent of the respondents said they had accessed internships after graduation while 30 per cent had not. Those who had undertaken internships gave their experience an overall satisfaction rating of four out of five.
From left: United States International University–Africa (USIU-Africa) Vice Chancellor Prof Mwenda Ntarangwi, Secretary for Higher Education Dr Carol Hunja and Commission for University Education (CUE) Chief Executive Officer Prof Mike Kuria during the first Vice-Chancellors’ Consultative Conference on the Draft Competency-Based Education (CBE) Framework for University Education, held at USIU-Africa in Nairobi on August 21, 2026.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
Graduates and employers nevertheless raised concerns over the duration and structure of workplace attachments, with the report calling for longer and more meaningful exposure to workplaces.
The findings therefore suggest that there is no single set of skills that can be applied across the labour market, with employers in different sectors demanding different combinations of technical, practical and interpersonal competencies.
The recommendations most emphasised by graduates involved in the study include increased practical or hands-on learning, internships and attachments, stronger industry linkages, curriculum alignment with labour market needs, and improved career support services.
“Graduates strongly recommend more practical training, structured internships, updated curricula, career guidance, and enhanced collaboration between universities, government, and employers. The same position obtains that current university training is perceived as overly theoretical and insufficiently aligned with workplace realities,” the report reads.
CUE says improving graduate employability will require changes at several levels, rather than placing responsibility solely on graduates. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education develops a National Graduate Employability Framework to establish national employability standards, promote work-integrated learning and strengthen labour-market intelligence.
It also proposes incentives for organisations that provide structured internships, apprenticeships and graduate trainee programmes. CUE is urged to incorporate employability indicators into programme accreditation, institutional audits and quality reviews, while conducting regular graduate tracer studies and employer satisfaction surveys.
