By Immaculate Akello
As
a young woman at the University, I have always been wondering about life after
Campus considering the mere fact that we have over thirty Universities with thousands
of people graduating every year, yet the job
market can hardly accommodate half that number.
The status quo of Uganda on issues relating to unemployment
is so devasting that the youth have lost trust in the government. People have
come up to blame the education curriculum, lack of practical experience,
nepotism and so much more. To find solutions to this predicament, I organized a
public lecture with the theme “WHAT NEXT, AFTER UNIVERSITY?” under the Uganda
Women Leaders Network (UWLN).
The
event drew the attention of students of Kampala International University (KIU),
International Health Sciences University, Makerere University, Nkumba University
and Uganda Christian University among others. We were blessed with two guest speakers, Mr. Wabwire Emmanuel, the Chief Executive Officer Fagara Africa, and Mr.
Kibuuka Ambrose, an Education Consultant and a member of the Board of Trustees
KIU.
The
event was not only a learning experience, but
it also enabled me to think beyond the
ordinary. What inspired me was the fact that as much as the majority of youth are
unemployed, others youths have positioned themselves in a way that the
jobs look for them instead of them looking for the jobs, they have learned to be multi-skilled
professionals as well as build their social capital.
I
also learned that administrators employ
those who will add value to their organizations and that being in the
information era, people will hire you for
what you know. Your degree is not enough if you do
not possess 21st-century skills.
I
therefore urge students at the University
to acquire the necessary skills that will enable them compete favorable within the job market. We must become
multi-skilled and not limited in our minds; we
must develop a character of transforming everything around us.
The
secret to success lies in the 5D cycle: Discovery, Dream about
your future, Design strategies and Develop action plans that will lead you
to your Destiny.
Your success lies in your intellectual capital and your social capital, always remember dreamers are achievers and no dream is too big to achieve as long as you take action.
The writer is the Vice President Uganda Young Women Leaders Network and MP Representing People Living With Disabilities in the KIU Guild
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