From Lecture Hall to Land Office: Surveyors Launch Portal to Fix Graduate Jobs Gap

 By Faith wanza mueni 

Photo: Eric Nyadimo  president The institution of surveyors 

NAIROBI - The Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) has launched a digital internship portal to link students directly with employers, targeting one of the biggest hurdles facing new graduates.

The platform was unveiled at ISK's inaugural student conference at the University of Nairobi (UoN), held under the theme "Beyond the Classroom: Preparing Students for the Future of Geospatial and Real Estate."

Hundreds of students, lecturers, public sector officials and technology providers attended. ISK says the forum will now be an annual event aimed at bridging the gap between classroom instruction and a fast-changing marketplace.

ISK President Eric Nyadimo said the conference comes as Kenya's land and built-environment sectors undergo a profound digital transformation, driven by rapid urbanisation, changing client demands and the growing role of data in corporate and civic decision-making.

Artificial intelligence, digital twins, building information modelling and prop tech are rewriting how land, property and spatial data are collected, analysed and managed.

"A rigorous re-examination of how effectively the education system aligns with active industry environments" is needed, Mr Nyadimo said, as these advances open new horizons for practitioners.

The portal is meant to answer that. Students can showcase their skills and apply for opportunities, while recruiters, tech firms and real estate corporations gain a tool to scout emerging talent. ISK says it directly targets the lack of structured, meaningful workplace experience that stands between graduates and formal licensing.

"Technical expertise alone is no longer sufficient to guarantee career longevity," Mr Nyadimo said, calling the conference an industry-wide call to action.

Training the next generation, he said, is a collective responsibility: universities build foundational knowledge, professional bodies uphold ethical standards, private firms provide the practical arena, and government shapes the regulatory ecosystem.

Future surveyors and real estate specialists must blend technical skills with digital literacy, communication, complex problem-solving and a deep sense of professional ethics, Mr Nyadimo said. As a multidisciplinary body representing practitioners across eight sectors, ISK urged students to take charge of their careers long before graduation.

Rather than entering the workforce simply as job seekers, students are being challenged to become innovators, critical thinkers, and active contributors to Kenya's smart cities and modern spatial frameworks.

"Beyond the degree, which really gives them the technical knowledge, the students are able to quickly find their bearing, find their mentorship, find their connection," ISK Deputy President Nelly Bogwa said.

The aim, she said, is for students moving from class to work to find a place where they can be employed easily, while employers find innovators being prepared by the university.

"We would like to really open their eyes to make sure that the sky isn't even the limit," Ms Bogwa said. They can do so very much, they can be creative.

She said ISK wants its members to be the ones doing surveying jobs, working as real estate agents and offering internships in property management. She also pointed to opportunities in government, including the affordable housing programme.

"The world right now is about technology," Ms Bogwa said, urging students to be innovators. What they have learned theoretically, she added, should be applied so they can upscale it and become the best that they can.

"This conference provides that opportunity for the students to explore the competencies that they need to have before they graduate beyond the classroom," a university speaker said, linking the partnership to the national shift to competence-based education and training.

"This conference is really what we as students were eagerly waiting for," said Abigail Mwambwa, a fourth-year geomatic engineering and geospatial information science student at UoN.

"Many of us usually have challenges when applying for internships and attachments," she said.

Beyond applications, Ms Mwambwa said, the portal will let students network with professionals and peers from other institutions, and see how the geospatial field relates to real estate, construction and planning.

An ISK official said the programme initially targets universities that train ISK student members: UoN, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and the Technical University of Kenya. Other institutions with relevant programmes can be onboarded later.

Once students are on the platform, employers can engage with them and identify talent to nurture. Not every opportunity will come through formal employment, the official said, so students are also encouraged to create their own openings. ISK is developing a mentorship programme to connect students with senior members.