By Lawrence Mucunguzi,
IBANDA.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has advised graduates to fold their sleeves and get dirty if they are to wade through the unemployment wave in the country.
She also challenged the graduates to be open-minded and not get stuck to that profession they have excelled in but go out to the world and exploit all the opportunities if they survive the challenge of unemployment that is rampant in the country.
Nabbanja said this on Friday while officiating at the 5th graduation for Ibanda University in the Ibanda district. She also officially opened post-graduate training at Ibanda University.
The University graduated 997 students of which 530 were females.
“Fold your sleeves, get dirty and look for money. Money does not smell stop despising any jobs. Do any kind of job as long as it brings you money, don’t despise any jobs. The white-collar jobs you might be interested in may not be readily available but can get you along the way as you do that job which you call dirty but is already giving you money,” advised Nabbanja”
To help students overcome unemployment, the Prime minister urged institutions of learning to churn them into skills outside the professional courses like entrepreneurship.
“Give additional skills to students outside their professional courses like in entrepreneurship such that they can turn the enterprises skills into job creation and income,” added Nabbanja.
She challenged the graduates to be open-minded and not get stuck to that profession they have excelled in but go out to the world and exploit all the opportunities if they survive the challenge of unemployment that is rampant in the country.
Nabbanja’s remarks came after a businessman and one of the directors for Ibanda University Patrick Bitature expressed worry over the future of the young generation who can’t find employment.
“When these young people graduate, they start walking for jobs, two to three years with their CV looking for jobs, they walk with their shoes, soles become bare and they start to lose hope, they are frustrated they start to lose their dignity and self-esteem. This is what causes strikes, demonstrations and hooliganism, we cannot have that in our country,” said Bitature who is also the chairperson of Simba Group of Companies.
He noted the country has so many young people with hope and energy but lacks guidance and support.
The University chairman board of directors Jeeb Rwomushana appealed for government support to produce graduates who have prerequisite skills not only suitable for the job market but also can create their jobs.
“Uganda should be producing graduates who have skills to reduce the outcry of we want jobs especially the industrial skills so that we establish more industries aimed at utilising the abund raw materials and add value to our agro-products,” said Rwomushana who however this is only possible if the government provides institutions with facilities, especially well equipped laboratories.
