Degrees have become the backbone of the Kenyan higher education system and any other country for generations. Many people grow up in a system that dictates that you finish high school then get a degree so as to secure a job. Degrees are the stepping stones to success.
Therefore, every year most students get admitted to universities in pursuits of higher education. Also the universities provide high number of graduates each year ready to join the job market.
Universities are seen as a vehicle for teens to mature into adulthood, offer solid general education and prepare graduates immediately for employment.
The Ongoing Shift
However, with the fast changing global economy, there is need for bachelor degree makeover. For instance, degrees have to be molded to be flexible enough to meet the demands for skills training throughout one’s career.
College students are expected to acquire general education in line with their skills training. They also participate in research, internships and attachments. All these are the basis for the four-year undergraduate program.
The cost of higher education is also on the rise. So most students with their parents have become more focused on employment preparation and graduating on time. Intellectual discovery and exploration is no longer a priority as it is too expensive.
Many graduates have had to deal with finding out after they graduated that their degrees are outdated. For instance, many realize they do not need it. This leaves them unemployed and unable to compete in the job market.
Many young professionals are also constantly changing their jobs and careers. Therefore they require a degree that is flexible to these changes and not one that only limits them to a particular section.
Today’s college students are different and diverse in their ages, backgrounds, religion yet all of them receive the traditional four-year degree. These students need a bachelor degree that meets both of their different needs and the requirements of today’s economy.
If this is not adhered to, then colleges will continue providing similar students with similar degree and nothing to set them apart. The job market then becomes crowded with one type of skills that cannot match with the changing economy.
The following degree are likely to be obsolete
1.Drama and theater arts degrees
The reason this degree is becoming obsolete is because there aren’t many jobs available in this field. Social media has also provided an avenue for people to create and sell their content without needing any college degree.
The content consumed are based on popularity of the person and not their skills. Making it in theater takes a lot of hard work. Sometimes one has to build an online presence so as to be known as an artist.
Most hiring managers aren’t aware of how this degree helps their business. All they care to know is your experience and your social media fan base if it can help boost their business.
With platforms like YouTube and TikTok there is some hope in saving this industry. Instead of the degree becoming obsolete we may see it being changed to fit the current changes in this sector.
2.Paralegal Studies
The rise of artificial intelligence is seen as a threat to the future of paralegal careers. This is because it is no longer necessary for people to master hundreds of pages so as to pull out relevant information.
With artificial intelligence one can easily get their required information at any particular time without straining their brains.
Artificial intelligence can perform the following duties:
- Conduct legal research
- Cross examine a witness expert
- Assist in jury selection
- Conduct client’s interviews
Because of the accuracy and speed at which artificial intelligence can process large amounts of data, law firms that adopt this technology reap tremendous benefits.
3.Advertising and Public relations
Every business or an organization need advertising of its products to the general public so as to survive. However, few companies do advertising.
Many hiring managers prefer marketing degree over public relations and advertising. This is because they believe with marketing degree,you have the specific skill they need and not general skills.
Marketing degree is comprehensive it includes both the advertising and public relations in it. It also includes media strategy, market research, community involvement among many others.
Companies are therefore likely to hire graduates with a marketing degree than one with an advertising degree because they believe you will be able to get their message to the people.
Social media has also provided tools that enables easier advertising by anyone without needing experience. This makes it difficult to even more compete.
4.History
History is essential in teaching us our past so that we can prevent the same mistakes and make better decisions for our future.
With the current market , the job you can get as a history major is teaching. This is because most employees are looking for people well advanced with the now rather than the past.
They believe in letting the past be the past and in moving forward. History graduates are therefore rendered useless in the new economy.
5.Composition and Rhetoric degrees
Many students are unaware of the existence of this degree thereby making it useless. Composition and rhetoric are a sub heading under the general English degree.
Even though people have been encouraged to specialize in one field so as to acquire the relevant skills, this degree prepares no one for a real world professional writing.
With print media slowly dying. There is an increase for digital writing. Social media has provided platforms for anyone to engage in this writing like Blogger, WordPress. People don’t need this degree to do professional writing. They can learn all they need through the internet.
6.Languages degrees
As globalization increases, learning new languages to connect with many people is becoming quite useful and also a necessity. However, people don’t need to pay that much money in colleges so that they can learn languages.
There are language learning platforms on the internet that are free. Some even match you with speakers of that particular language making it much easier to learn
The theoretical framework taught by professors in universities are not mostly used communicating. It is therefore better to practice while learning than to know the languages theory.
Employers will hire someone who can speak the language rather than one who only knows its theory.
Conclusion
None of these majors are totally without a job. However, you may struggle finding a better paying job. This may force you to accept work that is out of your field.
We recommend doing a research on the major you wish to pursue. Look at its employment rates. If there are similar majors that are better than it simply opt for those ones.
Click here to read on how to study abroad for free and here to see scholarships for Africans.
