Almost every graduate in Uganda has a CV even before their graduation day. Why then are so many graduates not employed, even with their CV’s clearly written out? It is estimated that more than 40,000 young people graduate from Ugandan universities each year and yet the market can provide only 8,000 jobs annually.
The ‘youth unemployment problem’ in Uganda’s population has been recognized by the UN, with skills training and job creation among the targets suggested in drafts for the post-2015 development goals. The issue of graduates not having skills is a global problem. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says training institutions continue to produce graduates whose skills do not match what the market wants. This mismatch makes it harder to tackle youth unemployment in Uganda.
In Uganda, the government is attempting to tackle the problem. The 2012-13 budget allocated $10m to the Youth Venture Capital Fund to supply young people with startup capital. The state has also entered into partnerships with private companies to help train young people to set up businesses.
Barclays Bank for instance is offering a free Certificate Ready to Work skills training which helps prepare young people for the critical transition from education into the world of work. It empowers young people with Work, People, Money and Entrepreneurial skills, critical skills that make one’s CV irresistible.
ReadytoWork created by Barclays Bank and implemented by BrighterMonday Uganda together with DigiCon Mini – Created by Google and implemented by Blu Flamingo will soon provide face-to- face free training sessions from 5th to 16th December 2016 at The Hub. Registration is free at Register.
With this, You will soon realize that a CV is not complete without a skills-training added on to it.