Harmonising the Undergraduate Records Management Curriculum and the Labour Market in Kenya

Abstract

There is a link between the broader subject of records management (RM) in Kenyan universities and the records management labour market in Kenya. It is always assumed that employers’ input and review of an institution’s curriculum typically produce better skilled, more knowledgeable employees who have a greater potential to succeed once they leave universities. This research aimed to identify the relevance of the undergraduate RM curriculum to the labour market in Kenya and to make recommendations on the areas that can be improved on in the curriculum. Undergraduate studies are the education level that shapes most professionals’ career paths. The challenge of the high unemployment rate among Kenyans in general despite thousands of graduates coming out of universities each year also motivated this research. The contextual set-up of the study was Moi University, Kenyatta University, and five online job listing sites in Kenya. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously using online questionnaires and key informant interviews. The research sample of 56 comprised two key informants from records management departments of Moi University and Kenyatta University and 54 alumni graduates of records management from the two universities who were selected using snowball sampling, as well as 20 records management job advertisements. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Atlas.ti software and are presented in tables, diagrams, and graphs. The research revealed that there is a need for more collaboration between the various stakeholders and that there is a strong link between university education and the performance of students in the job market; it also found a mismatch between the records management curriculum offered and the market demands. The mismatch was attributed to the theoretical nature of studies and the impact of information and communications technology on records management. The research further revealed that there is minimal consultation during curriculum review and that records management is not popular in the Kenyan labour market.