Geomatic support: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural economics and Resource management- The course and where one can work.

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural economics and resource management is a course that is offered by a number of public Universities.

Some of the Universities that offer the course include Moi University and Egerton University. In a nutshell, one will study about economics and management, with a special application to agricultural disciplines. About 90% of the curriculum is similar to an economics and

How long should one stay in one job?

These days, many young job seekers hop from one job to another fairly quickly.

The young professionals, also known as generation Y (born between 1979 and 1992), seem very reluctant to stay for a long time in one job. Whereas our parents stayed on one job and usually retired in the same company that the joined, this is not the trend anymore. In fact, to

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology- The course and where you can work.

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology is a medical science degree course that trains one to be able to identify the causes of diseases and develop the prevention and cure of the diseases.

The very nature of the course demands that one will need to work in laboratories most of the time. Some of the major employers of Micro Biology graduates include the public hospitals, Ministry of health, Kemri, other medical related NGOs, Community health NGOs and some private hospitals. The curse is offered in may Kenyan public and private Universities.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Bachelor of Science in Lab Technology

Bachelor of Science in Lab technology is a degree in medicals sciences.

One will be testing samples to look for traces of diseases and other ailments. One will work with a doctor, clinical officer or other medical practitioner to help diagnose

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry-The course and where one can work.

Bachelor of Science in biochemistry is a four year course that is in the medical field.

One will learn the essential skills needed in biomedical research, research into the causes of diseases, research into the development of drugs and diagnosis of

Female students being admitted in Public Universities with two points lower- Is it right?

This year, as is the case with many years before, the Joint admissions board announced that male students will be admitted with 63 points while female students will be admitted with 61 points. This reverse discrimination, also known as Affirmative action, has long existed in order to give a chance to those who were previously marginalized to catch up with the rest of the society.

The Joint Admissions Board as well as national schools are some of the institutions that use affirmative action.A difference of just two points represents a couple thousand students.

Bachelor of Science in software engineering- The course and where one can work.

Bachelor of Science in software engineering is a course hived out of computer engineering.

As the name of the course suggests, one will be involved in the development of programs. A program is just a code that enables one to perform simple and complex applications. In fact, a simple code would ordinarily replace thousands of electronic circuits. Contrary to

Work experience- How can fresh graduates get work without it?

Work experience is a thorn in the flesh for many first time job seekers.

These days, employers want someone who has been trained and tested, and found to be ok. The employers don’t want to spend time training someone only for the

Bachelor of science Computer engineering- The course and where you can work.

Bachelor of Science in computer engineering is a course that encompasses various aspects.

In this course, you will learn both the hardware aspects and the software aspects of computing. Hardware in computing includes such things as networking, how a computer works, parts of computers such as CPU, mouse, keyboard, microprocessors etc. This is an area closely related to electrical and electronics engineering.

On the other hand, software engineering is an area that encompasses programming. In this course, you will basically learn how to write code for various simple and complex applications. In fact, a software program is just a code that replaces thousands of electronic codes. Programming languages that one will learn includes java, C++, C, XHTML and other basic and dynamic languages.

Graduates of a program in Bachelor of Science computer engineering can work in mobile /telecommunication companies, internets service providers, media companies as well as any large organization that makes use of networks and systems to achieve its goals.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health/Public Health- The course and where you can work.

The bachelor Science in Environmental/public health is a course mainly concerned with the public sanitation.

This is important so as to maintain the health in the community and therefore prevent diseases and the loss of lives. By its very nature, the course aims at preventive measures to help in the outbreak of diseases, and in the general well being of the populace in a community. As usual, there will be units in microbiology, biochemistry, community health, sociology, first aid, medicine, pediatrics among other core units.

The major employer is the ministry of health through the district and county hospitals. One can also work for NGOs such as Red Cross, save a Child, Oxfam, among other relevant NGOs.

ons Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

Staying in Campus halls of residence versus hostels- Which is better?

Some students prefer to stay in campus halls of residence, since it offers them an opportunity to be close to their friends and classmates.

This allows them to share work, get to assist each in assignments, and do many things
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Bachelor of Science in environmental science-The course and where you can work.

Bachelor of Science in environmental science is a curse offered by many public as well as private Universities.

You will basically learn how to keep the environment safe and be free from pollution. As there are many wastes being emitted into the environment, the demand for environment science professionals has increased. For instance, every manufacturing company/factory needs to know if the waste emitted to the environment exceeds the safe levels. As global warming has increased, the

Financial engineering- The course and where you can work.

Financial engineering is a fairly new course in Kenya. As the name suggests, the course mainly deals with finance.

One will use complex mathematical formulas needed to make good investment decisions. Such terms as derivatives, investment portfolios, mutual funds, etc are likely to be taught in the course. Computer science and programming, a key tool used to make complex decisions,

Bachelor of Hospitality management- The course and where you can work.

The hospitality sector in the country is one of the major earners of foreign exchange for the country.

The hospitality sector comprises of areas such as Tourism, hotels and leisure. Even though the tourism sector has been hit by a few draw backs in some past years, it has recovered quickly and has reached the levels before the post election violence. As the name of the course indicates, you will be taught in such diverse areas as hotel management, leisure management, catering,

Bachelor of Arts in International Relations- The course and where you can expect to work.

International Relations, as the name suggests, is a course that deals with relations between countries.

As countries become more interdependent, the countries will have to learn how to be dependent on each other. Learning of different cultures in the world, some bit of history, the strategic interests of various countries are some of the things that one will learn. Units in sociology,

Bachelor degree in Counseling- The course and where you can expect to work.

Previously, not many Kenyans would go to counselors.

However, this trend is changing as more and more people are more open to be counseled. The rise in counseling services is partly as a result of the increase in the stress levels, as life becomes harder. With the economy plummeting, families breaking down, marriages ending in

Bachelor of Science in Biomechanical and Biosystems engineering- The course and where you can work.

This is a course that is closely related to Agricultural engineering.

It is a five year course. Due to the advances n computer technology, some of the Kenyan Universities decided to introduce this course. One will be taught skills in Agricultural engineering, such as farm mechanization, manufacturing of agricultural produce, how to generate

Bachelor of Arts Linguistics- The course and where you can work.

Language is an important tool of communication and it can make or break you.

Bachelor of Arts Linguistics program is a good one especially if you want to get acquainted with the many languages used for global commerce. Some of the languages that one can specialize in include English, Kiswahili, German, French, and

Bachelor of Biostatistics/ Bioinformatics.

Bachelor of Biostatistics/bachelor of Bioinformatics is one of the recently introduced degree programs in Kenyan Universities.

It combines elements of Biology, biochemistry, chemistry, statistics and some computer programming to come up with data on various issues in biology. For instance, if one wanted to investigate the

Bachelor of Science Construction Management- The course and where you can expect to work.

Construction management is a fairly new course in the country, and so far, it offered by just about two Universities.

Some of the Universities that offer the course include JKUAT, University of Nairobi (UON) amongst other Universities. The course is a five year course at JKUAT and a four year course at UON. Some

Bachelor of Science Civil engineering- The course and where one can work.

Civil engineering is a five year course offered in many public Universities.

In essence, one will learn the necessary skills needed to design buildings, roads, bridges, manage engineering projects, design water and sewerage systems and any other related skills. By the very nature of the course, one will need to have a very high aptitude for Math,

Bachelor of Science in Geomatic/Geospatial engineering- The course and where you can work.

Geomatic engineering, or rather geospatial engineering that deals with satellite communication and global positioning.

You will deal with maps, and how to locate positions, how to use satellite communication and use it to map areas. Since maps are nowadays more electronic, you will learn some computer skills even as you learn about the maps. Previously, the course was related to surveying,

Bachelor of Science Food Science- The course and where you can work.

Bachelor of Science in Food Science is a course that is offered in some of the Public Universities.

It should not be confused with nutrition. At its core, the course deals mainly with processed foods, the manufacture and processing of food products, beverages and its storage. Some people are bound to think that the course deals with cooked food, but this is not true at all.

Agribusiness Management- The course and where you can work.

Agribusiness Management is a course that was primarily introduced to help the better management of the agricultural based companies.

In a nutshell, all you will be studying is management, with some few units on agriculture such as co-operatives. To be sure, you won’t be any different from a person studying Bachelor of commerce, Bachelor of Business Administration or Bachelor of Business Management.

You will be taught basic concepts in management. Such concepts will span through a variety of areas. Some of these areas include accounting and Finance, marketing, branding, human resources, strategic management etc. As for the employers, you can pretty much work anywhere that a BCOM graduate can work, so you shouldn’t restrict yourself to an agricultural company only.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

Bachelor of Economics- The course and where you can expect to work.

The economics degree can be said to be the mother of the business courses.

You will learn the important principles in economics, such as supply and demand, scarcity, investment, why some countries are richer than others amongst other economic

Computer and electronics engineering- The course and where you can expect to work.

This is a course that was carved out of electrical and electronics engineering.

As the world gets more digitized, professionals in the computer and electronics sector are likely to be in high demand. It is often said that we now live in the

Bachelor of Arts degree (General).

The Bachelor of Arts degree (general) is a course that encompasses many areas in the Arts.

Such areas that one is likely to train in include sociology, anthropology, social work, international relations, economics, Maths, culture, languages etc. It will be up to you to select an area in which you wish to specialize. Sociology and anthropology mainly deal with how society’s are organized, how societies function and what have you. International relations on the other hand deals with how countries relate to each other.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

Bachelor of Education- The course and where you can work.

Bachelor of Education is a course that can be pursued in many of the Kenyan Universities.

Though Kenyatta University used to be the default training for the bachelor of education degree, this is no longer the case. University of Nairobi, Moi, daystar, Egerton and nearly all the Universities have introduced the bachelor of Education degree course. Given the high

Bachelor of Mass Communication The course and where one can work.

As the media space in the country keeps increasing, those with degrees in mass communication have been on demand.

Mass communication is taught in many Universities in the country; in both Public and Private Ones. One can work within the radio, print, TV (electronic media), and

Bachelor of Journalism- The course and where you can work.

Bachelor of Journalism, as the name suggests, is a course that will lead to a career in Journalism.

Journalism is a career that one pursues when they want to work in the media sector. There are several specializations that one can pursue when training for the degree course. One can specialize in print, radio, TV (or broadcast in general). One however needs to distinguish

Bachelor of Laws (LLB) - The course and where one can work.

Bachelor Laws (LLB) is one of the most prestigious courses, not just in Kenya but in the world in general.

The course takes four years to pursue. Thereafter, one can opt to go to the Kenya School of Law for another two years, after which they then become an advocate. Remember that to represent a person in court, you need to be an advocate. However, it doesn’t mean that for you to become a lawyer, you must be straddling from one court of law to another. The broad specialization

Mechatronics engineering- The course and where you cane expect to work.

This is a course that combines elements of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science.

As machines become much more automated, mechatronics engineers are likely to be in high demand. So, in essence, one will be incorporating concepts from all these

Bachelor of Business Administration- The course and where you can expect to work.

Bachelor of Business administration is closely related to the bachelor of commerce degree and the bachelor of business management degree.

One will generally be taught the management principles needed in order for a company/business to run properly. The broad generalization of the course includes

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering- The course and where you can expect to work.

Mechanical engineering is a course that is in demand, given the country’s growing need to industrialize rapidly.

At its core, the course inculcates skills in design, maintenance of machines. Other related areas include energy generation. This is a five year course. During the

Bachelor of Science in Electrical and electronics engineering- The course and where one can work.

Electrical and electronics engineering is one of the most competitive courses in Kenya.

In fact, the only other courses that have a higher cut off point are medicine/pharmacy and Actuarial science. As the name suggests, the course has mainly to with the design of electrical and electronic parts. AS the world gets more digitized, such professionals are likely to be

Bachelor of Business Information Technology (BBIT) - The course and where one can work.

The Bachelor of Business and Information Technology (BBIT), is a course that combines the elements of business management and information technology.

AS the business operations become increasingly intertwined with information technology, it becomes important to inculcate in one skills that they can cope in this fast changing world. As already discussed, business management will involve knowledge in such areas accounting and finance, strategic management, insurance, marketing, human resource, entrepreneurship, innovation and

Bachelor of Business management

Business management is a course that is closely related to Business Administration and Bachelor of commerce.

As already stated, the course has many broad generalizations. Such broad specializations include accounting and finance, marketing, issuance, human resource, strategic thinking, entrepreneurship, innovation among other disciplines. If you have a good aptitude in Math, then accounting and Finance can be a good specialization. It will lead to careers such as business analyst, investment analyst, risk analyst, financial analyst, accounts clerk, accounts director, Finance director,

Bachelor of Science in Actuarial science – The course and where you can work.

The Bachelor of Science in Actuarial science is a relatively new course in Kenya, having been introduced some time around 1999 at the University of Nairobi.

Many universities are offering actuarial courses: University of Nairobi, JKUAT, Maseno, Moi, SEUCO, Mt. Kenya University, Strathmore. If we were to include the constituent colleges, they would add up to around 13.. Statistics is likely to be a major component of the course. One will be taught to calculate complex premiums such as in the insurance companies, calculate such risk events as floods, mortality etc. The insurance industry is one of the major employers of actuaries.

After getting the degree, one will need to do the specialized actuary exams in order to become a fully qualified actuary. There have been hundreds, if not thousands of actuarial science graduates that have been trained in the past decade, but very few qualified actuaries; the ones who have done the professional exams. As of 2008, there were about eight qualified actuaries in the country. Major employers include the insurance companies, investment firms, banks where one can be employed as a risk analyst. Alexander Forbes seems to be the preferred employer that many actuaries would want to work for.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology- The course and where one can expect to work.

A bachelor of Arts degree in sociology will enable you to work in many fields.

Since the course mainly deals with society, how societies are organized and general human relations. The course is offered in most of the major public Universities and some private Universities. Some of the employers that hire sociology graduates includes NGOs, human resource departments. Sociology degree, when combined with some advanced

Bachelor of Science- The course and where you can expect to work.

The Bachelor of Science degree is a very broad specialization, but I will attempt to break it down here.

First, you can specialize in either the physical sciences or the biological sciences. The Physical sciences includes fields in Physics and Chemistry. The biological science is normally divided into botany and zoology. Botany is the study of plants while zoology is the study of animals. Math is on the border, it can be a science or an Art, depending on how the University categorizes it.

Bachelor of Commerce- The course and where you can expect to work.

Bachelor of Commerce (BCOM), is one of the most in demand courses in the country.

Simply because it offers one the opportunity to study management, the course is like by many students who hope to one day become managers. Bachelor of commerce is offered in nearly all public Universities, Private Universities and leading colleges. The course is closely related to Business Administration and Business management. Usually, a student studies the general principles of management for the first two years before specializing in the rest of the two years. The broad generalizations of the course include marketing, Accounting and Finance,

Bachelor of Computer Science/ Bachelor of Information Technology- The course and where you can expect to work?

Computer Science is a very popular course among Kenyans.

For the purposes of this article, the course will also be referred to as Bachelor of Information technology. As you might expect, the course mainly deals with computers, both the hardware parts and the software parts. The course is offered in nearly all universities and nearly all colleges. For computer science, one will also need some aptitude for Math. There is the basic part of computing and how it operates, which every student in any course will be taught. You will also be introduced to programming languages e.g Java, C++,
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Monday, August 22, 2011

USIU- Is it too elite?

The United States International University (USIU) - Africa, is located on Thika Road, just about 25 km from the Nairobi city center. It is a campus of the USIU group of Universities, with many campuses in the US. By this very fact, The University uses the American higher education system. For instance, the academic calendar is structured in quarters. It also uses the GPA system of education. The GPA system is much like KCSE grading, where each unit/course, is graded separately, on a scale of 4. For instance, if you get an A, that is
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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Kenya a Silicon Savanna- Really?

In the Time Magazine issue of June 2011, there was an article on Kenya soon transforming to be a Silicon Savanna. Silicon Savanna is an adaptation of Silicon Valley, the famous desert in California, USA, where world beating companies such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter were founded and are headquartered. But was the article really correct in suggesting that Kenya could be on the brink of an IT
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Kazi Kwa Vijana-Is it a jobs scam?

The government introduced the Kazi Kwa Vijana some few years ago in a bid to create jobs and wealth for the youth.

Kenya faces a very high unemployment rate, with the youth especially hard hit. It was hoped that this initiative would have helped the youth by providing the easy jobs such as road maintenance, cleaning, planting flowers

Kenyatta University-Has it transformed?

There is no doubt that Kenyatta University has gone a great transformation in the last five years or so.

The vice Chancellor, Prof. Olive Mugenda has definitely been at the forefront of the major changes at the University. She replaced the previous vice chancellor George Eshiwani after

University of Nairobi- Still the University of Choice?

The University of Nairobi is Kenya’s oldest University.

It started as a royal technical college in the colonial days before it was converted into a University college under the University of London. Before UON was elevated to the University level status, many Kenyans used to be educated in the University of Dar-es-Salaam or Makerere University. With such a rich history, the University has in deed been able to offer all courses that can be undertaken in Kenya. The alumni network of the University is also the most widespread, and comprises of parliamentarians, government officials, corporate managers in Kenya and abroad. Due to such a rich history, the University has been the highest ranked Kenyan University, although it has been dislodged from the top slot a few times by Strathmore University. In the January 2011 ranking of Universities by Webometrics ranking, it was ranked

How much should we pay you?

If one has ever attended interview sessions, then they are likely to have been asked this question.

You have answered all the questions n the interview and as finality, you are asked how much you think you deserve to be paid. Your negotiation skills be at a play here and quite frankly, you are in a catch-22 situation. If you state a salary that is too high, the company might consider you as being too expensive and this may hinder your chances of getting the job. On the other hand, if you state a salary that is too low,

Dear Kenyan lecturers and students

Kenyan lecturers we know that you are underpaid. That is a fact in Kenya as well as many African countries.

No university can afford to pay you as much as for example a Yale theoretical Physicist, paid about 2 million dollars per year. But for God’s sake, can’t you use your superior brainpower to generate your own ideas or better still your own cash. How can the same professors be struggling with the government for the minimal resources. What will the government do, pay you your hefty packages or feed the starving peasant population.

Can men and women just be friends?

It is often said that there really can never be a friendship between men and women.

You hear it all the time, “We are just friends”, followed by disbelieving looks from colleagues. It may start out as so but within no time, feelings of lust, romance and sex will come into play, and the plutonic friendship will change into a romantic one. That is why it’s so hard to hear of any successful plutonic friendships between men and women. So, what is it that makes it so hard for men and women to be just friends and

When is the right time to quit your job?

Let’s face it; getting a job in Kenya is extremely hard.

There are many unemployed Kenyans who wish to get that opportunity just to get some decent pay to help them scrap by. To add to those numbers, there many people who are underemployed. Quite simply, this means that such people aren’t using their skills and talents in the optimum level. It therefore comes as a great surprise when one announces to their friends and work colleagues that they are quitting their job. Many colleagues are likely going to talk you out of the idea,

Breast and back implants-Are they really safe for women?

These days, women crave for that perfect body. It is no secret that a majority of men (Africans to say the least), prefer curvy women.

One of the favorite past times of many men is to look at women’s behinds. Whenever men get free time to be on the balcony of flats or high rise buildings, they immediately drift into looking at women’s behinds. Whenever a group of women pass by, the men are likely to whistle at the ladies with more curvy bodies. This leaves the women who are not so much endowed in those areas to start having a low self esteem.

Is there a disconnect between what employers want and what is taught in Kenyan Universities?

The number of form four graduates has increased over the years and so too has been the number of students enrolling in Universities.

In fact, the number of private as well as public Universities is increasing by the day in order to take care of this demand. Due to this demand alone, education is now one of the most lucrative industries to invest in. This is also the reason why the number of fake colleges is mushrooming in every college.

As the number of university graduates has increased, some of the employers have started voicing concerns on the quality of education offered in Kenyan Universities. It is now becoming increasingly difficult for employers to hire graduates directly without taking them through some kind of training.

Do employers prefer diploma engineering graduates to degree holders?

The engineering degree program is certainly of the toughest professions in the world.

One needs great analytical skills to excel in the profession. As such, the profession attracts some of the brightest minds in Kenya. The traditional engineering degrees are mechanical, electrical and electronics and civil engineering. However, as the technology keeps on changing, Universities have come up with several new courses. Some of the new courses that have been introduced in Kenyan Universities include; industrial engineering, electronics and computer engineering, Mechatronics engineering,

Should provincial schools really be upgraded to national schools?

In a short time to come, the number of national schools will be upgraded from the current 18 to 114.

At least two schools in every country are to be upgraded from provincial status schools to national schools. One of the criteria that was used in identifying the schools was their track record in the performance of KCSE.
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Friday, August 12, 2011

Student Part Time Writing Job.

Are you a University Student or a College student and you want to explore your writing hobbies?

Then this could be the opportunity for you. Kenyan campus blog is looking for a student Part time writer. Ideally, you should be a creative writer who can write on any of the following broad topics. The more topics you can write on, the better.

-Campus student stories/gossip. Such stories will revolve around the activities in campuses, latest trends

Some Kenyan Undergraduate scholarships one can apply for?

Many University students are usually stranded as to the scholarships that they can get to help finance their studies.

While the number of scholarships is not that many, one should not rule out obtain any of the scholarships. Below are a number of scholarships which one can apply for to help finance their undergraduate studies in Kenyan Universities.

1. Rattansi Fund.

The bursary amount

Do students really get to pursue careers they are passionate about?

The Joint Admissions Board announced the second revision of courses in a few weeks past and to be sure, many prospective University students had to go back and revise their courses.

Many students settled for courses that they would actually not have considered as their first choice degree courses. Such is life; one really never gets what they ideally want. Talking to a few working professionals, one realizes that a majority are in a profession that they don’t like.

The reasons why they ended up in whatever profession they are in are varied. Some got grades that never allowed them to pursue their dream courses, some chose courses because of the attendant prestige that they would have derived from the said courses. For instance, many an A student chooses medicine or engineering or law simply because society expects that brilliant A students should choose certain courses. Others chose courses that they thought they were suited for but on enrolling in Campus, they discover that the courses they chose cannot match their personalities, talents

KCSE brain drain- Can it really stop?

There have been numerous documented studies on brain drain in countries.

However, what is often not documented is the loss of the top brains that excel in KCSE. For instance, all the best KCSE students between 1989 and 2001 had received full scholarships to study abroad. For instance, the top KCSE student in the first KCSE in 1989, Naeem samnakay , went to study abroad and is now a pediatric surgeon in Australia. Other top students such as Fred Were (KCSE 1990), Kirimania Murithi (KCSE 1994), Mwashuma Nyattu (KCSE 1997), Timothy Thairu ( KCSE 1998), Samuel Gikandi (KCSE 1999), Dhar Tishampati (KCSE 2000), Nayosi Buge Omete (KCSE 2008), Wanjiku Mungai (KCSE 2009) also received full scholarships to study in elite US colleges such as Harvard, Yale, MIT

Why the craze for additional qualifications?

You hear of every student talking about adding an additional qualification here and there.

You hear of Jane in the Bachelor of Commerce class wanting to pursue CPA qualifications. CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant. She hopes that the additional CPA will enable her get that extra edge in the job market. On the other hand, Joe in the IT class is taking several certifications in IT. He is doing Microsoft, Oracle, database, networking, CISCO and many more certifications in the IT circles. Steve in the Law class is taking extra classes in CPS (Certified Public Secretaries).

Questions is, are the additional qualifications really helpful.

Why is our education system producing Grade D mindsets?

Mary Kinyanjui, a researcher at the University of Nairobi, recently penned an article for the Daily Nation on why we are producing gradates with grade D mindsets.

In a way, she is right. In many schools, right after the KCSE results are announced, the prize giving ceremonies follow. As expected, it is the students who scored Grade A and A- that are usually rewarded. And the prizes are usually big, especially for the big schools. At the Nairobi School for example, the top student receives a car. At the Alliance High school, the top student usually receives a cash prize of between kshs.5, 000 and kshs.10, 000.

Do diploma holders stand any chance in the job market?

Looking at job adverts these days, the minimum requirement for the advertised jobs is a bachelor’s degree.

Some employers even insist on a second Class honors Upper division, especially if one is applying for a first time entry level job. In fact, some employers even go a step further and insist on the job applicants having a master’s degree as being an added advantage. So, where do diploma holders fit

Strathmore University- Is it the Harvard of Kenya?

I must admit that I have given private Universities a raw deal.

For a blog that was meant to feature all the aspects of Kenyan Universities, colleges and schools, I have tended to concentrate much more on the public Universities and schools. However, today, I break that trend and will start posting a series of articles on private as well as public Universities. So, let’s start with Strathmore University today. Strathmore University

Kenyan University student leaders- Are they a scam?

University/college is a place that transforms many individuals.

It is often said that one lays the foundation of their life when they are between the ages of sixteen and 30. After that, it becomes hard to change an individual. Having said that, it is in campus where the leadership traits and other talents in a person begin to be exhibited. If one recalls carefully, many of the current parliamentarians and leaders were student leaders during their University days. Some of the prominent public figures that were student leaders include

JKUAT University- Did it lose its way after Japan withdrew funding?

JKUAT University began as a middle level college in 1983/84.

It has since grown in leaps and bounds and is now one of the most sought after Universities in Kenya. Its programs in IT and engineering, agriculture among others compete favorably with other Universities in Kenya. Early this year, it was selected as one of the five Universities in Africa to act as a campus for the pan African satellite University. The other campuses for the Pan African University are scheduled to be in South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria and Algeria.

How do you get a job with no work experience?

In every job advertisement these days, one is likely to be asked for work experience.

This naturally puts fresh college and University graduates at a disadvantage. If one is not careful, this can be a recurring cycle and securing that first job can seem a daunting task. If you thought that this is a problem that affects Kenya alone, then you are mistaken. Even in the US, the financial recession has made getting a decent job to be extremely difficult. For instance, many employers are explicitly stating that unemployed or laid off workers should not apply for the job vacancies.

Does it matter which University one attends?

Each country has its own elite schools that train the leaders, professionals and other important people in society.

For instance, the US, the elite Ivy League Universities such as Harvard and Yale come to mind. In the UK, Oxbridge ( Oxford and Cambridge) University come to mind. In Uganda, Makerere University comes to mind while the University of Dar-es-Salam comes to mind when one thinks of Tanzania. The quest for quality education in Kenya has gotten a notch higher and every University is trying to cut out a niche for itself.

Bachelor of Arts V/s Bachelor of Science courses- Which are the most lucrative?

About twenty years ago, one would be guaranteed of a job if they had just set their foot in campus.

In some instances, it is the employers themselves that came to the Campuses to recruit fresh graduates. However, this is not the trend anymore. Where there have been graduates that have been successful in securing jobs right after graduation, many others contribute to while away at home for lack of jobs. Some more are underemployed, hardly utilizing the skills that they were taught.

There has been a raging debate over the years on which are the most lucrative courses. Former higher education minister William Ruto caused a stir a few months ago when he said that the funding for the Arts courses should be reduced.

What are the fastest rising careers in Kenya?

(To read more related articles, visit the Kenyan campus blog homepage).The number of courses offered in Kenya’s Universities and Colleges continues to increase by the day.

Below are some of the careers that are increasingly on top of the many Kenyan students minds.

1. Language Translators

As globalization keeps on increasing, the number of languages one needs to master keeps on increasing. Chinese language, French, Spanish and German are some of the top foreign languages that Kenyans are studying. As China continues to penetrate into Africa, professionals that can communicate in Chinese will no doubt be in demand. If one wants to work within Africa well, then they will have to master some French language to communicate in the French speaking African countries. Kiswahili is also a growing language, and major companies are now offering Kiswahili versions of their products. For instance, currently, the default Google Kenya home page is in Kiswahili.

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