As we progress through our various lives, we make several transitions as we try to find the right career path. These transitions rely on having access to the right information so that when one makes a decision, they are doing so from a fully informed position. While one could make use of the internet and other resources to search for opportunities, there is a need for more comprehensive solutions. The internet carries a wealth of information and data, which can be very helpful when one needs to make a decision. However, it can be a daunting task to try and put this information together, and find which of it can be helpful for yourself.
By Kudzai Joshua Zawe
Over $30 billion is spent on higher and tertiary education in Africa annually, and this figure is expected to keep rising into the hundreds of billions by 2030. Spending on education is growing, but students leaving high school remain ill-informed about their options for education after they complete high school. Although career changes can be made at any stage in one’s life, there is a need for one to start off on the right path.
Craydel (Kenya)
This Kenyan startup has created a web-based application that is designed to help African students and professionals when they need to make decisions about their career paths. Students on the continent, in particular, are at a disadvantage when they want to pick a career path or a course for their further education. Schools try to provide as much information as possible to their students about the courses they can take but there are limits to what they can do.
Through Craydel’s app, students are able to make discoveries about what courses they can take to achieve the career goals that they would have set for themselves. The app also helps the students to make comparisons between different institutions so that they can make a fully informed decision when they decide to go with a particular learning facility. There are options for every level of higher and tertiary education available on the app, and this gives users a wide range when it comes to the scope of the information they are able to access about their education and career options. Students can also take assessments on the app which will help determine where they can fit best in terms of the career options available to them.
Late in 2021, Craydel raised $1 million in a pre-seed round with the funds going towards improving their app’s performance and delivery of accurate information. The further development of Craydel’s repository comes as they look to expand outwards and start serving the greater African market. What Craydel is building has the potential to become a key resource in the bid to connect Africans to the opportunities that they need. Professionals can use Craydel to advance their careers by looking at the courses or career opportunities that are curated on the app.
Opportunities for Africans lead to growth
Africa currently sits in a unique position as far as the future of work is concerned. The continent has the potential to feed the world with the majority of the workforce that will be needed in the next few decades. If the continent is going to produce and develop a workforce that is capable of driving the greater economy, there is a need for platforms like Craydel that give students and professionals the guidance they need in terms of how they should approach their careers.
Having guidance when it comes to choosing the right career path is as important as the professional environments that one ends up in. Once the right choices have been made, and an individual is paired with the career options that are right for them, it becomes easier to have a workforce that can drive economic growth. Ensuring that there is access to opportunities for Africans in the next generation is one of the building blocks that will lead to the successful development of Africa. Read more about other startups building Africa on our blog.
