Rethinking Educational Pedagogy to Bridge the Skills Gap: The Impact of Competency-Based Learning at Kepler College

The persistent misalignment between higher education curricula and labor market demands has intensified the skills gap among graduates, particularly in developing economies. In Rwanda, where youth unemployment exceeds 21% (Rwandan National Institute of Statistics, 2022), there is an urgent need for pedagogical approaches that align academic training with workforce competencies. This paper seeks to explain how competency-based learning (CBL) is applied at Kepler College in Rwanda and how such an approach helps to meet the ever-changing skill requirements of the labor market. The study establishes the efficacy of conducting learner-centered teaching through a competency-based methodology incorporating outcome-based assessments, office hours intervention, and remediation assessments on learners' performance and employability. Employing a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design, the study analyzed archival competency assessment records from 282 students drawn from the 2022 and 2023 cohorts at Kepler College, using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests. Data were extracted from students' institutional competency assessment records, scored on a validated 1–6 performance rubric (1 = Beginner through 6 = Advanced), with Level 4 (Proficient) as the minimum mastery threshold. The objectives were achieved as the data reflected that all targeted competencies achieved improvement, with all posttests mean scores ranging from 4.32 to 5.07 as opposed to the pretest mean scores, which were between 3.25 and 5.02. For example, the mean score for measuring the ability to distinguish cash and accrual basis accounting improved from a pretest mean of 4.05 to a posttest mean of 4.74. Students who received outcome-based guidance and attended office hours showed notably greater improvement in their competencies. Standard deviations for pre-test scores ranged between 0.707 and 1.609, with reduced post-test variance indicating greater consistency in competency mastery following intervention. The eight competencies assessed spanned financial and professional domains: communicating financial information, distinguishing cash and accrual accounting, comparing business entity types, presenting and analyzing data, differentiating depreciation methods, identifying and prioritizing tasks, demonstrating professional time management, and demonstrating resourcefulness. These results demonstrate the value of CBL in developing the relevant skills required by industry. The findings are particularly relevant for higher education institutions (HEIs) seeking to adopt educational models that align with labor market expectations, offering actionable pathways for enhancing graduate employability through focused, competency-driven growth.