In Garissa County, a growing number of university graduates are turning to technical and vocational trades after failing to secure white-collar jobs in a saturated and sluggish job market.
Once hopeful of landing formal employment after years of rigorous academic pursuit, many degree holders now find themselves back in local workshops.
They are involved in welding, tailoring, repairing electronics, and even plumbing — to support themselves and their families.
“I graduated with a degree in Business Administration three years ago, but I’ve never gotten a job interview,” said Abdiwahab Noor, who now works as a self-taught electrician in Bula Iftin.
“Instead of staying idle and burdening my parents, I decided to learn wiring and start small contracts.”
The trend reflects the deepening employment crisis across Northern Kenya, where youth unemployment remains alarmingly high, especially among university-educated individuals.
According to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate among graduates in the region is over 40%.
Fatuma Mohamed, who holds a degree in Education but now runs a thriving tailoring business in Garissa town, says the shift was necessary but came with emotional difficulty.
“I thought I would be teaching in a school by now,” she said.
“But when nothing came, I joined a tailoring group for women, and now I earn enough to support my younger siblings.”
Vocational training centers in Garissa have reported a rise in enrollment by degree holders seeking hands-on skills.
At the Garissa Vocational Training Centre, instructors say at least 30% of their current trainees are university graduates.
“This is no longer just a path for high school dropouts,” said Mohamed Bare, an educationist.
“We are now seeing diploma and degree holders learning masonry, plumbing, and motor vehicle mechanics,” he said.
The growing reliance on technical crafts highlights a broader shift in mindset — one that challenges the long-held notion that a university education guarantees upward mobility.
“There’s dignity in labor,” says Hassan Ali, a former sociology student now managing a small welding workshop.
“As long as you are earning honestly and living with purpose, that’s success.”
