Does University Education Address 21st Century Skills? Reflections from Kibabii University, Kenya

Abstract

Sustainable higher education systems should be a remedy to graduate employability. These Graduates of higher education need to match the demands of the labour market. High rates of graduate unemployment in Kenya has been blamed on the lack of relevant skills. The New Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) seeks to fill the skills gap by equipping learners with the 21st century competences –tools that are universally applied to amplify ways of thinking, working and living in the world. The purpose of the study was to establish the extent to which university education addressed the 21st skills. The specific objectives were to; establish the mismatch in university curriculum and graduate skills in the context of 21st century. Establish university students' profile in 21st century competences, and (iii) recommend practices that would transform university education systems to meet the demands of the labour market. The study recommends reforms in university education with a mindset to aligning it to Competency Based Curriculum. This can be achieved by engaging policy makers, industry and practitioners to address competence gaps.