5th-Mar-2026 | 2.7 mins read
Is Career Information The Hidden Engine That Could Unlock Potential?
I recently read a post on LinkedIn (one I later tried to find but couldn’t trace), written by a young woman who had studied economics at university. I recall her saying that, at the time, the only career paths she knew were those in the finance sector. It was only after she entered the world of work that she discovered how wide the field really is. Economists can work in academia and research institutions, in government and the public sector, in health, environmental, and social policy spaces, and in many other domains she had never been exposed to earlier.Her reflection caught my attention because it highlights a common challenge in Kenya: lack of career information, which narrows thinking. When people, more so students, do not have access to broad, accurate, and engaging career information, they often make decisions based on extremely limited awareness. Career information is a treasure trove still undiscovered in many countries. We cannot talk about true career development without talking about information. So we must ask ourselves: How important is career information, and when should it start?
Singapore answers this question powerfully. It has built one of the most integrated national career development ecosystems in the world, one that connects schools, government agencies, labour market platforms, counsellors, AI-powered tools, and lifelong learning systems to support individuals from primary school all the way into adulthood. The system is strengthened by the MySkillsFuture Student Portal, a national one-stop platform that helps learners discover their strengths through self-assessment tools, explore industries, and make informed choices about their education and future. Professional (trained) counsellors in every school provide personalised guidance, helping students interpret information, understand their evolving identities, and plan their pathways with confidence. Together, these components form a coherent ecosystem that supports student growth, readiness, and smooth transitions through each stage of learning.
Isn’t that exactly what we would wish for our own country? A robust, coordinated career information system that begins in the early years and supports individuals through education, into work transitions, and throughout their working lives? This is why my interest was immediately drawn when I encountered the Yenza career pathing platform. Yenza Careers hints at the possibility of building a similar ecosystem; one where young people and adults alike can access accurate, personalised, technology-enabled career information. It offers a model of how digital career tools can democratise guidance, widen horizons, and empower people with the clarity they need to navigate their future.
Imagine what it would mean for learners, jobseekers, and working adults if Kenya, and the wider East African region, could build an ecosystem that connects national career standards, school-based guidance, digital platforms, labour market intelligence, Career Development Practitioners and AI-driven personalisation. Imagine a system where every learner can explore pathways long before making critical decisions; where every jobseeker has real-time insights; where every professional can chart meaningful reskilling journeys; and where CDPs, educators, and policymakers all operate from the same well of rich, accessible career data.
That is the promise of strong career information systems. That is the promise platforms like Yenza gesture toward. And that is the vision we must collectively pursue; a future where no young person remains narrow-minded simply because they did not have the information to see the world of possibilities waiting for them.