Kenyan employers are looking for more than academic qualifications when hiring graduates, with communication, adaptability, a positive attitude and practical workplace skills increasingly becoming key factors in recruitment.
Speaking at the Skill Up Africa Summit 2026, Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) Chief Executive Officer Jacqueline Mugo said many employers are struggling to find candidates with the right mix of technical and soft skills despite the high number of young people seeking jobs.
“We often struggle to find talent, and the young people are struggling to find jobs. So where is the disconnect? Do we want a workplace driven by a skilled, innovative and adaptable workforce or not? The answer to these questions lies in one word: skills,” Mugo said.
“Skills are the foundation of opportunity, the bridge between education and employment. And skills are the engine that will drive Kenya’s economic transformation.”
The Skills Kenyan Employers Want From Graduates
Mugo said employers are looking for graduates with strong communication, teamwork and adaptability skills, as well as the ability to accept feedback and grow in the workplace.
She noted that while technical skills are necessary to secure a job, many young professionals struggle with workplace expectations.
“The skills are important because you must enter a workplace because you have a particular set of skills that the enterprise was looking for. Sometimes the quality of those skills needs to be sharpened to suit a particular enterprise,” she said.
According to Mugo, employers continue to cite soft skills as one of the biggest gaps among graduates entering the labour market.
She singled out attitude, willingness to learn, punctuality, teamwork and the ability to accept constructive criticism as qualities many employers consider when recruiting.
“The one challenge employers are talking about is the soft skills, the attitude, the ability to take correction,” she said.
Mugo also urged young professionals to remain patient in their first jobs and to use the early years of their careers to build experience.
“The patience to stay on a job for at least a year or two years and learn that particular enterprise and apply your skills there is important,” she said.
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Technical Skills Gap persists
Mugo revealed that a 2025 survey conducted by FKE, involving about 700 enterprises, found that many employers were still struggling to recruit workers with the skills they needed.
The survey found that about 40 per cent of employers reported a shortage of technical skills among job applicants.
Digital skills and soft skills were also identified as major gaps affecting employability.
At the same time, nearly 60 per cent of employers said they preferred hiring technically skilled workers, highlighting the growing demand for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates and practical skills.
“The findings sent us some clear messages. We must move from skills discussions to skills action. We must strengthen collaboration between industry and training institutions and expand workplace-based learning,” Mugo said.
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Apprenticeships Key to Employability
Mugo said apprenticeships remain one of the most effective ways of bridging the gap between classroom learning and workplace experience.
She welcomed the launch of the National Quality Apprenticeship Guidelines, saying they would help create an industry-responsive pathway for skills development.
“A young person should not have to choose between gaining an education and gaining experience. The strongest learning happens when knowledge meets practice,” she said.
She added that employers remain committed to opening up more apprenticeship and workplace learning opportunities to young people.
Advice to graduates
Mugo encouraged graduates to embrace lifelong learning, improve their writing and communication skills, and remain open to feedback.
She observed that writing skills have become a concern among employers across different professions.
“Writing is a challenge. Read a lot, learn online, write more, and allow someone to review your work. Be willing to receive feedback and learn from your mistakes,” she said.
She also urged young people to develop both technical and human skills as technology continues to transform the workplace through artificial intelligence, automation and digitalization.
“The world is changing and will continue to change, but your potential remains limitless. Be curious, keep learning, embrace technology positively and never be afraid to innovate,” she said.
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