By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Choosing the right course to study is the first step towards a successful life and career. One’s future is mostly determined by the course he/she does at the university or college.
Pick a wrong course that you can’t secure a job after graduating and you’re as good as doomed.
With the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) currently accepting applications for 2023 KCSE candidates to join the university colleges and TVETs, we have compiled for you some of the marketable courses.
An individual with a degree or certificate in any of these courses will likely get a job quickly after graduating because of the high demand for the skills he/she will have.
NB: It is not a guarantee that you will quickly secure a job with these courses, only that the chances are high.
Medicine
Demand for doctors is and will always be on the rise by the day, and this means there will always be a need for more doctors.
Aside from the high demand, the job also offers a good salary and many other benefits.
But to qualify for this course, you will need to have performed exceptionally well in the KCSE.
It is also worth pointing out that a medicine course takes quite longer than a normal degree (about six years) so be ready to be in school for that long – but it is worth it.
Nursing
Also in the healthcare industry, Nursing is another in-demand course that you are almost assured of getting a job once you graduate.
Nurses are critical personnel in the healthcare system as they offer support to physicians and other clinicians.
While a perception has been that nursing is a job for women, more men are coming up to enrol on it.
Among the nursing courses, one can consider pursuing include critical care nursing, pediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing and Kenya Registered Nurse anaesthetist.
Aside from a job opportunity locally, a nurse can also secure a job internationally. Countries that are in need of nurses include the United States, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.
Special needs education
As a graduate or diploma holder with this course, you can work as a daycare educator, special education schoolteacher, or academy director with a degree in special requirements education.
Special needs education is a marketable course because Kenya, like numerous other nations, lacks sufficient special education teachers.
Some of the children with special needs that an individual with the course is likely to teach or interact with are those with autism, mental and physically challenged as well as the visually and hearing impaired ones.
Law
This is one of Kenya’s versatile professions that offers a variety of job opportunities.
The good thing about having a law degree is that you can be employed both in the public and private sectors.
Lawyers are in demand across all sectors especially in corporate, commercial, property, family, and criminal law.
Software engineering and website development
We’re now in a digital era and corporates as well as people are embracing technology especially with the social media and Internet taking over.
With this comes the need for individuals that can develop software to be used and websites.
An individual with these skills will be in high demand. The good thing is that one can still make a fortune even as a self-employed, and even better if employed.
Civil engineering
There is so much construction work going on across the country and one key person to ensure the projects succeed is a civil engineer.
A Civil engineer designs and constructs buildings, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects. This field is obviously in demand in Kenya as the country continues to develop its infrastructure.
Agriculture-related course
The agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy, contributing approximately 33 per cent of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means the demand for agriculture professionals is high.
The sector is also wide, from livestock, dairy, and horticulture to cereal farming.
Telecommunications and Information Engineering
The telecommunications and Information Engineering course offers network design, data management, and communication systems expertise.
Graduates can pursue careers as network engineers, data analysts, and telecommunications consultants.
This is a marketable and on-demand course in Kenya because of the increasing digital connectivity and the growth of the technology sector which means the demand for skilled professionals is high.
Other marketable courses an individual can consider pursuing include pharmacy, computer science, IT, and architecture.