Kenyan health workers are continuing to find job opportunities abroad, with new figures showing that graduates from Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) are leading in the latest placements in Germany.
Data from the African Business Community shows that 84 KMTC graduates have already secured jobs in the ongoing recruitment.
Other institutions also had some of their graduates picked, including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with 27, Moi University with 7, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology with 4.
According to ABC CEO Dr Kelly Oluoch, the numbers are expected to rise, with about 159 more graduates being prepared for placement once they are ready.
The recruitment has mainly focused on physiotherapy graduates, with Germany opening up due to a shortage of healthcare workers.
In March, officials from the recruitment agency visited KMTC to discuss how to better prepare students for jobs outside the country. Part of the plan includes training in German language, helping graduates get their qualifications recognised, and supporting them to settle into work.
KMTC says it is now pushing to create more opportunities for its graduates globally. In the past, many have secured jobs in countries like the UK, the US and Australia, but Germany is now emerging as a new option.
Germany is experiencing a shortage of medical personnel, in particular physiotherapists, due to its aging population.
According to Dr Oluoch, the KMTC graduates are adequately trained and can vie for such positions.
One of the beneficiaries, Alex Omweri, currently based in Germany, says the program has transformed his life.
“Indeed, I had never anticipated working outside the country, but this has been helping me develop my career as well as myself,” he noted.
Apart from physiotherapists, the agency has also extended its services to nurses, dentists, and pharmacists among other health practitioners.
