By Our Reporter
The National Social Security Fund is set to equip university students with knowledge and skills that will enable them explore opportunities in technology for business and career development, at this year’s annual NSSF Career Expo.
The expo will be held for three days from 27th to Friday, 29th April 2022 online and at Motiv on Port Bell Road for selected students that register to attend in-person. It will be implemented in partnership with Innovation Village and Absa Bank under the theme, “Technoprenuership: the Future of Work”.
Speaking at the launch of the expo, Richard Byarugaba, the NSSF Managing Director intimated that young people weren’t benefitting as much from the new emerging technologies because the current education system hadn’t prepared them well.
“NSSF is deliberately focusing its sustainability agenda on helping youth to take full advantage of these new and emerging technologies, while being resilient in the age of disruption. We are doing this through our innovation program, Hi-innovator and financial literacy.” He said.
He advised students to take on a holistic approach when venturing into business, citing available support offered by the Fund’s Hi-innovator program.
“Having an idea alone is not a guarantee that your business will be successful. You need to start with skilling yourself to better understand how to operate a startup in this economy. Be intentional in looking for and take advantage of such programs that support young innovators even before you
complete your university degree. In this way, you will be equipped to run a successful start-up. Our self-directed online learning platform is a good resource to help you with this,” Byarugaba concluded.
Other speakers of the day included representatives from the Innovation Village , Absa Bank and MTN.
Mumba Kalifungwa the Absa Uganda, Managing Director advised participants to seek ample knowledge of the business they are venturing into and have financial acumen to run successful business. “An innovator will struggle to find market for their products if it doesn’t offer a solution to any community problems. As an entrepreneur you need to start with identifying the problem you are trying to address.”
Japheth Kawanguzi, the team lead at the Innovation Village urged participants to take advantage of technology to execute their ideas. “Having an idea is not enough but for you to translate these ideas into a business, you need capital, investments and proper execution. Therefore, by leveraging on technology, which is the engine of our economy, you can create value, attract investments and venture capitalism which will turn this amazing idea into a full-blown business.” He said.
Other topics for discussion at the expo will include Building a career in tech, Unlocking your creativity – How to start a startup and Building a personal and business brand.
The NSSF Career Expo offers a platform for students to network and learn from established industry experts for career advancement, entrepreneurship, employment positioning, financial literacy, and personal growth beyond their studies at the university. Students are also exposed the world of savings as a discipline with focus on saving for retirement at an early age.
Now in its 12th year, the NSSF Career Expo has impacted over 300,000 to date helping them kickstart their journey to financial security, entrepreneurship and career growth.