On Monday, June 3rd 2013- I posted something on why Education is expensive- and went on to look into student loans and what it means to get a higher education in Kenya right now.
Well, for starters a degree in Kenya costs roughly between Ksh. 500,000 to Ksh. 1,000,000. And the cost of tuition also depends on the technicality, lucrativeness and most of all research and advanced theories that the discipline has. Like for instance a some of the most expensive courses are Law, Medicine, Aeronautics, Tourism and Hospitality and also...pure English. (The list is endless in some universities) This cost is also dependent on the university- if it is a well known institution, and has been featured in some rankings in History of Academia, then you are bound to pay more, what's in a name you say?
As promised, today my main focus will be on job creation.
Can our society create jobs for graduates and thus reduce the unemployment rate that's weighing the economy down?
No.
Okay, I am not an Economics expert- but that much is evident courtesy of observation.
So, let us focus on society (my favorite topic, second to deviants and psychopaths
). Society is dynamic. What we see happening now did not happen a century or better yet a decade ago. There's rapid growth and alignment towards technology and green conservation. It is rather odd that now we lack basic natural resources like water, and food when this was not evident a century ago. It is also odd that we can communicate with people miles apart in less than 140 characters and receive a response. A friend calls it the cycle of life- where things have to balance. But this is not the case with humanity now- things do not balance. For a people who know about the Yin and Yang, you'd think we'd apply the same to our lives and environment- but this is not meant to be so because we thrive in excesses!
I will give you a wonderful personal example. I would rather buy a book- than get something to eat at lunch! It is so in me that I have a collection of stationery and my latest craze is collecting stick notes!
Every person suffers from this excessiosis!
Yes, I just coined a term- forgive me!
Look around your house, or home- it is full of stuff, most of the things have not been used in years but the thought of seeing it there, of others knowing that you have it is why you keep it. You need it to feel good, but not because you use it.
So- with this in us- it is not an easy feat for society to create jobs for graduates, so what we should be asking is- how can we see to the needs around us?
Necessity is the mother of all invention- is a cliche, but very true.
There are needs around us. Things that require change, or some sort of fixing or nurturing and that is what we have to train the young people to identify. It is not simply about making money and living large- but rather about contributing positively to something. The Kenyan Government- and officials might set aside funds towards alleviating poverty- but can people access these funds? Is there an opportunity to pool these people such that- the funds are not spent on the same things but rather on innovations that would help them and thus contribute to the economy of the state?
Forget also about funding- what is it that is lacking in communities, towns and cities?
And how can the educated graduates ensure that what is lacking is fulfilled?
All these are questions that got me thinking not only about job creation, but mostly about the graduate mentality. It is sad that upon graduation all the graduate thinks about is getting a paying job!
It is sad because this is a notion that he/she has been fed by the parents since childhood- it has always been 'go to school, to get a good job.' And you realize only ten years after graduating that you never did love studying what you earned as a degree- and the only way out is to simply make more money, start a family, hope to raise your kids with a little bit more freedom than your parents did with you- and the cycle of disappointment continues.
So, can the society create jobs for graduates?
No.
Can the society create room- for graduates to nurture their talents and skills?
Yes.
Can the same society ensure that while graduates are nurturing their skills and talents, they have access to apprenticeship or internship- some hands on experience that would enable them to either create jobs or get jobs?
Yes.
How can the society do this?
I'll share this in the next post on #TheGraduateDiaries.
Well, for starters a degree in Kenya costs roughly between Ksh. 500,000 to Ksh. 1,000,000. And the cost of tuition also depends on the technicality, lucrativeness and most of all research and advanced theories that the discipline has. Like for instance a some of the most expensive courses are Law, Medicine, Aeronautics, Tourism and Hospitality and also...pure English. (The list is endless in some universities) This cost is also dependent on the university- if it is a well known institution, and has been featured in some rankings in History of Academia, then you are bound to pay more, what's in a name you say?
As promised, today my main focus will be on job creation.
Can our society create jobs for graduates and thus reduce the unemployment rate that's weighing the economy down?
No.
Okay, I am not an Economics expert- but that much is evident courtesy of observation.
So, let us focus on society (my favorite topic, second to deviants and psychopaths
). Society is dynamic. What we see happening now did not happen a century or better yet a decade ago. There's rapid growth and alignment towards technology and green conservation. It is rather odd that now we lack basic natural resources like water, and food when this was not evident a century ago. It is also odd that we can communicate with people miles apart in less than 140 characters and receive a response. A friend calls it the cycle of life- where things have to balance. But this is not the case with humanity now- things do not balance. For a people who know about the Yin and Yang, you'd think we'd apply the same to our lives and environment- but this is not meant to be so because we thrive in excesses!I will give you a wonderful personal example. I would rather buy a book- than get something to eat at lunch! It is so in me that I have a collection of stationery and my latest craze is collecting stick notes!
Every person suffers from this excessiosis!
Yes, I just coined a term- forgive me!
Look around your house, or home- it is full of stuff, most of the things have not been used in years but the thought of seeing it there, of others knowing that you have it is why you keep it. You need it to feel good, but not because you use it.
So- with this in us- it is not an easy feat for society to create jobs for graduates, so what we should be asking is- how can we see to the needs around us?
Necessity is the mother of all invention- is a cliche, but very true.
There are needs around us. Things that require change, or some sort of fixing or nurturing and that is what we have to train the young people to identify. It is not simply about making money and living large- but rather about contributing positively to something. The Kenyan Government- and officials might set aside funds towards alleviating poverty- but can people access these funds? Is there an opportunity to pool these people such that- the funds are not spent on the same things but rather on innovations that would help them and thus contribute to the economy of the state?
Forget also about funding- what is it that is lacking in communities, towns and cities?
And how can the educated graduates ensure that what is lacking is fulfilled?
All these are questions that got me thinking not only about job creation, but mostly about the graduate mentality. It is sad that upon graduation all the graduate thinks about is getting a paying job!
It is sad because this is a notion that he/she has been fed by the parents since childhood- it has always been 'go to school, to get a good job.' And you realize only ten years after graduating that you never did love studying what you earned as a degree- and the only way out is to simply make more money, start a family, hope to raise your kids with a little bit more freedom than your parents did with you- and the cycle of disappointment continues.
So, can the society create jobs for graduates?
No.
Can the society create room- for graduates to nurture their talents and skills?
Yes.
Can the same society ensure that while graduates are nurturing their skills and talents, they have access to apprenticeship or internship- some hands on experience that would enable them to either create jobs or get jobs?
Yes.
How can the society do this?
I'll share this in the next post on #TheGraduateDiaries.
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