A senior academic has called on education stakeholders to align university engineering programmes with the rapidly evolving needs of industry to tackle the persistent mismatch between academic training and workplace demands.

Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences and Computing at Strathmore University, Eng. Dr. Julius Butime, said while thousands of engineering students graduate each year, many struggle to find employment due to a lack of practical and interdisciplinary skills.

“Every year, more than 7,000 engineering graduates join Kenya’s labour market. The real struggle begins when they find themselves at a crossroads—their theoretical skills a mismatch in workplace settings,” Dr. Butime said.

“Employers cite limited exposure to real-world projects, a deficit in innovation capacity, and weak industry linkages as critical setbacks facing newly recruited engineers.”

His remarks come in the wake of the UNESCO Africa Engineering Week and the release of two reports—The Global Engineering Capability Review (GECR 2025) and Engineers in Africa 2025 Report—which revealed a widening disconnect between university training and industrial needs across the continent.

Kenya currently has 16 institutions offering undergraduate courses in engineering. However, most still rely on traditional curricula with limited flexibility to adapt to emerging technologies and market trends.

In addition, constrained budgets have hindered investment in research, modern laboratories, and continuous professional development for faculty.

Strathmore University, which launched its Engineering Programme in 2021 with an inaugural cohort of 80 students in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, is seeking to change this narrative.

Dr. Butime said the program is designed to produce “market-ready graduates” through close partnerships with industry players and international institutions.

Through the Higher Education Partnership for Sub-Saharan Africa (HEP-SSA)—a Royal Academy of Engineering–sponsored initiative—Strathmore is fostering collaborations between academia and industry to develop specialized skills in power and renewable energy.

“Our goal is to ensure that the next generation of engineers is not only knowledgeable but also practically prepared to address East Africa’s pressing power sector challenges,” Butime said.

The partnership has enabled joint projects, internships, and staff exchanges with organizations such as the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO). Through these engagements, Strathmore has identified emerging skills in Artificial Intelligence applications in power systems, energy storage, project management, and cybersecurity, which have now been integrated into its curriculum.

Butime urged other universities to embrace similar collaborations, noting that Strathmore has established linkages with Makerere University, the University of Dar es Salaam, Busitema University, the Technical University of Kenya, and the University of Oxford. Together, these institutions have co-developed and revised over 20 academic courses.

Beyond technical skills, Strathmore is promoting a reimagined model of engineering education—one that balances global standards with local relevance. By integrating insights from communities, industry, and non-traditional knowledge sources, the university aims to create a more inclusive and context-driven learning environment.

“This approach not only raises the quality of engineering education but also strengthens its role in driving economic transformation and climate resilience across the region,” Butime emphasised.

“We must build a workforce that is globally competitive yet locally grounded.”

This article was first published here.