Assessment of Skills Expected by the Employers in the Current Labor Market of Electrical and Electronics Technicians: A Case of Uasin Gishu County

Globally, unemployment of electrical and electronics graduates is one of the biggest challenges. This study aimed to assess skills that are expected by the employers in the current labor market of electrical and electronics technicians in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. A mixed-method research approach and a descriptive survey research design were adopted. The Human Capital Theory guided the study. The target population comprised 165 electrical and electronics technicians and 11 electrical and electronics supervisors and their sample size was 55 and 11 respectively. Convenience sampling technique, total population sampling technique and simple random sampling technique were used to obtain the samples. The data collection instruments included questionnaire and interview schedule. A Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.87 was attained for the pilot data. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. The qualitative data was analyzed by presenting themes that emerged. Male electrical and electronics technicians, 33 (63.5%), were more than female participants, 19(36.5%). Most electrical and electronics technicians (50.0%) were aged between 20-24 years. Most electrical and electronics technicians 25(48.1%) were craft certificate holders. In respect to employment, most of the electrical and electronics technicians 9(17.3%) were employed by Kenya Power and Lighting Company. A large proportion of the respondents 30(57.69%) strongly agreed that supervisors require skills taught in technical institutions. Skills (F0.05 (1,52) = 5.030, p< 0.05), (b= 0.448, p< 0.05) significantly predicted employability. The study’s findings were stated and it was observed that there was a significant relationship between employability and skills. The study suggests that skills should be encouraged among the electrical and electronics technicians. The researcher recommends continuous learning and technical skill development through workshops incentives for pursuing advanced degrees that align with industry demands.