Nexford University, the Federation of Kenya Employers, and the Africa Digital Media Institute have partnered to help with graduate recruiting in Kenya.

The Federation of Kenya Employers (“FKE”), the employers’ membership body in Kenya, and the Africa Digital Media Institute (“ADMI”), a training platform for Africa’s creatives, have partnered with Nexford University, the Washington, DC-based next-generation university platform offering affordable, US-accredited degrees worldwide, to address graduate recruitment challenges.

Following Nexford’s entry into East Africa, the agreement will help the company’s learner base expand throughout the continent, especially in Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Over 33,000 skill-focused courses have been completed by Nexford students globally since the company’s debut in 2019, equipping them for the workplace of the twenty-first century.

Nexford University’s founder and CEO, Fadl Al Tarzi, said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with FKE and ADMI to carry out important study on the Kenyan job scene. Nexford is in a good position to meet the local and global talent shortages as the Kenyan economy continues to expand and undergo digital transformation. We are excited to work together to upskill Kenyan kids so they are prepared for the employment market there and for their future professions.

“The partnership and survey will allow us to further tailor our educational offerings to the skills gaps faced by employers, delivered in an affordable, high-quality, manner accessible for 21^st Century learners. Learners will graduate with in-demand skills creating opportunities to improve social mobility and access higher-paying careers. Kenyan employers will also benefit from an improved pool of talent offering the skills needed to grow their businesses, an asset to the entire country’s economy,” he added.

In the first stage of the collaboration, FKE will conduct a national study on Kenya’s labor market demands and skill gaps between employers and employees. The research, which began in March 2023 and included 270 of Kenya’s biggest employers, was jointly developed by FKE, ADMI, and Nexford University. The study will pinpoint the most in-demand skills, skills gaps, and examine how employers’ demands are changing as a result of changing market conditions like digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

The results of the research phase will subsequently be examined in order to inform the curriculum that Nexford University and ADMI are producing for students in East Africa.

Since its AI-driven curricula are produced through analysis of millions of job opportunities, with courses targeted to deliver the skills most in demand by employers, Nexford already has substantial expertise with this technique.

The creation of Nexford “pathway programs” and upskilling courses, tailored to the needs of Kenyan organizations, will take place during the partnership’s final phase. These programs will produce workers who are prepared for the workforce and offer current employees a clear path to professional development so they can add more value to the firms they work for. Nexford will work with FKE to develop materials for employers that will help them increase employee retention and the hiring process.

Since its AI-driven curricula are produced through analysis of millions of job opportunities, with courses targeted to deliver the skills most in demand by employers, Nexford already has substantial expertise with this technique.

The creation of Nexford “pathway programs” and upskilling courses, tailored to the needs of Kenyan organizations, will take place during the partnership’s final phase. These programs will produce workers who are prepared for the workforce and offer current employees a clear path to professional development so they can add more value to the firms they work for. Nexford will work with FKE to develop materials for employers that will help them increase employee retention and the hiring process.

Jacqueline Mugo, EBS Executive Director & CEO of the Federation of Kenya Employers, commented: “As the Federation of Kenya Employers, we accept this extended hand of partnership, and we believe that this collaboration will make enormous contribution in skills development for the world of work in our Country and beyond. As an employers’ Federation, we understand that the world of work is being impacted by a fourth industrial revolution and transformed by artificial intelligence & other emerging technologies. This will result in the displacement of a large number of workers and hence to forestall this, there is need for workforce upskilling and reskilling.

We therefore view this partnership as a big window and an opportunity to help in closing the existing gap between the skills supply and skills demanded in the job market.  We believe that this partnership will help in identifying gaps and consequently building talent among students and workers thus making it easy for learners to link up with appropriate jobs and at the same time help employers to get access to the skills they need within their organizations. This will enhance staff retention and enterprises productivity”.

Aggrey Oriwo, CEO of the Africa Digital Media Institute, said: “The development of market-ready skills will contribute to economic growth by enhancing employability and labor productivity, helping Africa’s youth to become more competitive. To achieve this we have to look at what is the current situation and as a training ground bridge the gap between the labor demand and supply sides to find the right mix for success. At ADMI we support employers around Africa by designing and implementing programs and curriculums aimed at addressing the most fundamental challenges of skills development.”

Nexford alumni will be well-positioned to take advantage of career prospects in Kenya’s fast expanding tech sector because they will have received an education in the in-demand skills identified by the FKE survey. Leading multinational technology businesses eager to increase their presence on the continent are increasingly choosing Kenya, creating new chances for the nation’s digital expertise. As part of a KES 115.5 billion investment in the area, Google is investing in its first-ever African product development hub in Nairobi, and Microsoft has announced the opening of two new offices for the African Development Center (ADC) in Kenya and Nigeria, reiterating its commitment to the development of tech talent in Africa.

The tech-enabled business strategy used by Nexford delivers education effectively without sacrificing quality. A Master’s degree from Nexford typically costs $2,800 per year in tuition, which is significantly less than the $36,000 national average for the US. Early in 2023, the Distance Education Accrediting Commission granted Nexford full US accreditation for its courses.