Universities step up to bridge skills gap, boost graduate employability

Youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge, with young people still struggling to secure jobs despite rising enrolment in higher education. According to the Labour Force Survey Q3 2025 by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), 15.5 percent of youth aged 16 to 30 were unemployed in August, compared to 11.7 percent of adults. ALSO READ: What does it take to address unemployment among youth in model villages? To address the gap between education and employment, universities are increasingly focusing on equipping students with job-ready skills, supporting innovation through incubation centres, and maintaining links with alumni after graduation. Academics and students say these efforts are helping young people transition more smoothly into the labour market. ALSO READ: Unemployment rate drops to 13.4% in quarter two Patrick Niyonkuru, a third-year Mass Communication student at East African University Rwanda (EAUR), began seeking opportunities beyond the classroom soon after joining the university in 2023 on a scholarship. One of his first steps was enrolling in a video editing training programme, where he was selected in the first round. The experience proved pivotal, as it connected him with a trainer from Ishusho TV, eventually leading to a three-month internship that further sharpened his skills. In 2024, the university partnered with the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) to conduct a specialised workshop, from which Niyonkuru was one of only two students selected on his campus. “Those days of training defined who I am today,” he said. “After returning, my peers and I formed an environment club to put what we had learned into practice.” The group launched a waste-management campaign on campus and in nearby secondary schools under the theme Take It, Keep It, and Place It Right. With mentorship and logistical support from the Career Guidance Office, the project expanded to schools such as GS Remera Catholique, where students were trained with REMA’s support. The university also provided dustbins and reusable bottles to ensure continuity. Niyonkuru’s engagement opened further doors, including a workshop organised by Rwanda Environmental Journalists in partnership with the Fojo Media Institute. He was selected partly because he had begun volunteering as a contributor for Rwanda for You, an organisation promoting environmental protection for tourism. “Those training sessions helped me take my first steps in journalism,” he said. He now volunteers with Green Africa and Rwanda for You after attending additional sessions on fact-checking and mobile journalism offered by the Career Guidance Office. Recently, he covered the inauguration of the Nduba landfill, describing the experience as an important milestone in his professional growth. Niyonkuru encourages students to remain active beyond coursework and to build relationships with university leadership. His involvement earned him a place at the recent African Women in Media conference in Addis Ababa, where he participated in discussions on gender-responsive journalism through his university’s gender club. Currently a content creator focusing on environment, agriculture, and climate change, Niyonkuru hopes to turn his work into a business. His long-term ambition is to pursue a Master’s degree and run a professional news website dedicated to environmental reporting. “Young people must maximise the minimum, use limited resources, learn every day, seek guidance, and embrace teamwork,” he said. At the University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology, Damien Hanyurwimfura, Professor and Acting Director of the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT), said programmes are deliberately designed to align with current market needs. “We offer programmes linked to market demand, and most of our graduates secure jobs soon after completing their studies,” he said. “ACEIoT includes an IoT entrepreneurship module that equips students to start their own businesses, alongside professional trainings delivered with external experts.” He added that the Transformative Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Hub (TAIRI) was established to help students apply AI knowledge to solving local challenges. The centre also runs an IoT Lab, giving students hands-on experience in developing solutions to social problems—skills that are increasingly in demand locally. A 2024 tracer survey showed that 93 percent of ACEIoT graduates are employed, many in public and private education institutions. Others were already employed during their studies and earned promotions after graduation. However, Hanyurwimfura noted challenges remain, particularly where employers require prior experience for entry-level roles or have limited understanding of IoT, excluding it from job requirements. To address this, ACEIoT operates an AI and IoT incubation hub that connects students with industry partners interested in supporting promising innovations. Several incubated innovators have launched startups and competed nationally and internationally. One example is Prisca Nikuze, co-founder of Neem Company Ltd and an ACEIoT incubatee, whose smart insole innovation for preventing diabetic foot complications placed second at the 2025 Hanga Pitch Fest. Her team won Rwf 20 million. The centre also tracks alumni through tracer studies and an active WhatsApp group where graduates share job opportunities and updates. Some Master’s graduates go on to further studies at ACEIoT or abroad. At East African University Rwanda, Julius Kabagambe, Dean of Students Welfare and Career Guidance, said support is tailored to individual student needs, whether academic advice, internships, or job placement. The university has built over 40 partnerships with organisations aligned to its programmes, including media houses, banks, hospitality companies, and NGOs. “These partners are not just for internships. Many end up hiring our students,” he said. Kabagambe highlighted the university’s incubation hub, which supports student entrepreneurship. One success story is Ibigwi Tours Company, which emerged from the hub and now operates as a functioning business while hosting student interns. He urged students to remain adaptable, particularly in their early weeks at university, noting that some change academic paths once they better understand their strengths and interests. “It's normal for students to realise they are better suited to another field. The goal is to avoid spending time on courses that are too difficult or unfulfilling,” he said. The university organises departmental workshops and annual Career Days that bring students together with industry professionals. Over the past three years, more than 80 percent of students who used guidance services benefited from incubation hubs or project support. From the latest September intake, 10 students have already begun work experience programmes. Still, Kabagambe said some opportunities go unfilled, particularly outside Kigali, as many students are reluctant to relocate. Meanwhile, Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) and the University of Rwanda recently launched a Bridge Programme to equip undergraduates with practical STEM and communication skills. Raymond Ndikumana, UR’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration, said the programme strengthens collaboration between the two institutions while addressing skills gaps among young engineers and science students. Starting in January, the programme will offer training in artificial intelligence, data science, and mathematics, initially targeting STEM students but also open to those in engineering, agriculture, and education, with plans to expand further.

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Universities step up to bridge skills gap, boost graduate employability