In about six months or less, I will be done with University. Although I have done most of what I am required to do to secure a job somewhere, the fear of the unknown is not uncommon to me. My class has about two hundred people and we will all graduate at the same time. Tales of people moving from office to office looking for jobs without success are harrowing to listen to. I have attended many forums on graduate employment but only few exist to fully help graduates understand and waddle though the unkind employment world.
Barclays Bank of Kenya yesterday launched Ready to Work programme, a free online platform through which college students and graduates aged between 18 and 24 years will build the skills they need to make a smooth transition into the job market. This programme sounds like the ideal game-changer in terms of equipping students and graduates the skills they require. The readytowork program will help graduates to get knowledge and skills to help them in the job market.
Help graduates ace stiff competition
Annually, around 50,000 graduates leave colleges and universities with the hope of getting absorbed in the ever shrinking white collar job market. Unfortunately, barely a third of these people make it to employment. The others are left without jobs and have to enter into the informal sector to earn a living.
Understand what the employees are looking for
There has been a public outcry about half-baked graduates. These are people who get employed but cannot even understand the technical terms in the areas of their specialisation. This begs the question of what normally happens after students enrol in schools. Thing is, most students only read for exams on the night before and do not take time to practically apply their knowledge. When they are interviewed, they fail as they are not aware of the employers’ requirements. This programme will help solve this problem.
Impart the graduates with skills
The reason many people fail at employment and in their own businesses is because they lack the skills to solve problems, to treat people in a manner that will encourage them to keep coming for services, to handle money and be able to run their businesses with ease. This programme will impart the graduates with money, entrepreneurship, people and work skills to ensure that they are all rounded prior to getting into employment or starting their own businesses.
Closing the gaps in employment and youth owned business
Employers are continually looking for competent people to work for them. These are people who are self-driven and are able to carry out their work with the least supervision. On the other hand, youth who own businesses need to be able to reap maximum benefits from their businesses. This programme will facilitate in bridging the gaps between the employers’ needs and the available workforce as well as helping young entrepreneurs run their businesses.
