Kenyan schools are being encouraged to rethink their approach to career guidance, with experts arguing that it should be integrated into the curriculum from an earlier stage. Amanda Birkenstock, executive principal of Crawford International School, says that forward-looking institutions must introduce career exploration, skills assessment, and digital literacy and subject-pathway guidance much earlier. This is as the demands of both Kenya’s and the global labour markets change rapidly.
The call for a new approach to career guidance comes as the World Economic Forum estimates that 39 per cent of workers’ existing skill sets could be transformed or become outdated between 2025 and 2030. According to the WEF, schools that cultivate curiosity, adaptability, digital capability, and critical thinking early are responding to a labour market in which the specific jobs children eventually enter may not yet exist.
The shift towards earlier career guidance is also driven by a tight domestic employment market. The 2026 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that Kenya’s recorded employment rose by 822,100 jobs to 21.6 million in 2025, but 87.2 per cent of the new employment was in the informal sector. This makes early preparation for a changing economy increasingly important.
The World Bank has similarly warned of a mismatch between the skills young people acquire and those demanded by the labour market. It says nearly 80 per cent of Kenyans under 35 who are working are in informal, low-quality jobs, while about 85 per cent of youth rely on informal work. This highlights the need for schools to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing job market.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies analytical thinking as the leading core skill sought by employers. Resilience, flexibility, and agility, leadership, and social influence are also in high demand, while AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, technological literacy, creative thinking, and lifelong learning are among the fastest-growing skills.
Kenya’s own education reforms recognise the shift towards a more skills-based approach. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development identifies seven core competencies under the Competency-Based Curriculum, including communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and imagination, citizenship, digital literacy, learning to learn, and self-efficacy.
The Ministry of Education says the competency-based system is intended to promote critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning rather than simply transmitting content. By introducing career guidance and skills development earlier, Kenyan schools can help prepare students for a rapidly changing job market and equip them with the skills they need to succeed.
Key points
- Schools should introduce career exploration, skills assessment, and digital literacy and subject-pathway guidance much earlier to prepare students for a rapidly changing job market.
