Career pathways is a popular topic in Kenya, especially in the CBC curriculum. The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was introduced in Kenya in 2017 and since then, students, parents, and teachers have been hungry for information to learn everything about the CBC syllabus. In this article, we will discuss the different career paths offered in the CBC.

We have created a colourful one-page CBC career chart in PDF to enlighten students, parents, and teachers about the diversity of career paths in CBC. [Download now].

what is career pathways?

Career paths or pathways a series of related jobs that you can pursue over time. Some examples of career paths include health, human resources, education, and technology. Vocational pathways are designed using real-time labor market information and active employer involvement to ensure that training and education programs meet the skill and competency needs of local employers.

In the Kenyan education system, the career pathways in CBC consist three major pillars which are; Talent Pillar, Languages and Social Sciences Pillar, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pillar. Students begin exploring career paths in junior secondary school in readiness for pathway selection in senior school.

Examples of CBC pathways

Arts and sports science CBC pathways

CBC careers in arts and sports science can be categorized into three; sports science, visual arts, and performing arts.

Sports science careers

Typical careers in sports science include; sports coach, physiotherapist, sports nutritionist, sports massage therapist, personal trainer, fitness program coordinator, and gym attendant among others.

Visual arts careers

Careers in visual arts include; visual artist, illustrator, graphic Designer, sculptor, painter, art director, art teacher, etc.

Performing arts careers

Typical careers in performing arts include; Acting, musician, dancer, elocutionist, theatre director, choreographer, musical performer, etc.

Social science CBC pathways

Social science career pathways can also be grouped into three; languages, humanities, and business studies.

Language careers

Typical careers in languages include; translator, interpreter, writer, editor, journalist, language teacher, copywriter, and more.

Humanity careers

Humanity-related careers include; historian, archaeologist, philosopher, ethicist, anthropologist, sociologist, legal researcher, etc.

Business careers

Business-related CBC careers include; entrepreneur, accountant, financial analyst, business manager, marketing specialist, human resources manager, and business analyst among others.

STEM CBC pathways

STEM careers in CBC can be grouped into the following; pure sciences, applied sciences, and engineering.

Pure science careers

Typical careers under CBC pure science careers include; science researcher, scientist, mathematician, physicist, chemist, biologist, environmentalist, and more.

Applied sciences careers

Examples of applied science careers in CBC include; agricultural scientist, actuarial scientist, agricultural engineer, computer engineer, food scientist, technologist, geoscientist, and more.

Engineering careers

Typical examples of CBC engineering careers include; Engineer, technician, technologist, tradesman, craftsperson, industrial Worker, machinist, and metallurgist among others.

Career and technology options

Typical career examples in career and technology studies include; software developer, web developer, data scientist, cybersecurity analyst, network administrator, systems analyst, and user experience (UX) designer among others.

A final word on career pathways

The three career paths in CBC are; Arts and sports science, Social sciences and Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM pathway). The CBC model promotes learner inclusivity with the Age-Based Pathway for regular learners and learners with disabilities who follow the regular curriculum with adaptations; and the Stage stage-based pathway for learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, deaf-blindness, and severe multiple disabilities.