Over 66 Jobs offered to Makerere University during the Makerere Career Fair 2024
Students and graduates have been urged to embrace career mentorship programs to make it in the job market.
The call was made on Friday during the Makerere Career Fair 2024 organised the university, in conjunction with MasterCard Foundation.
Held under the theme, “Breaking Barriers to Employment Opportunities”, the event brought together over 2000 students from the university and secondary schools around Kampala.
Presiding over the event that was held at Makerere Freedom Square, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Umar Kakumba underscored the importance of the career mentorship in inspiring the young people to aspire to achieve their dreams.
“For most people who have excelled in life, it is not because they were the most brilliant in school, it is because of the career mentorship and guidance they received,” Kakumba said.
Over 20 companies from the industry participated in the fair, offering 66 job opportunities that have not been advertised anywhere.
Kakumba hailed the companies for coming on board to support the University in preparing the young people for transition and career progression.
“On behalf of the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, and my behalf, I would like to thank the 20 companies that have partnered with us to support this year’s annual career affair, an event we believe will go a long way in providing career guidance and career mentorship for our students.” Kakumba remarked.
During the event, students got the opportunity to meet and interact with industry experts to share information about existing career opportunities and the new skills needed in the job market.
According to Prof Justice Namaalwa, the coordinator the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme at Makerere University, the career fair aimed to connect students to the world of work.
“When they graduate, they have a question, ‘Now what?’ What we are doing today is bringing the industry to the university, for the students and alumni to connect directly, venture into opportunities, but also for the industry to know that the university has quality that we are putting out there,” Namaalwa said.
Prof Namaalwa highlighted the need to offer young people career talks which she said they rarely get especially after graduating.
“So we are here to give them the talk. We are here to give them the exposure and leave this place with contacts that they can follow. Many of the young people want to be connected. They are supposed to connect themselves. So we are giving a platform for the young people to connect themselves to the world of work,” she said.
Joseph Balikuddembe, the chairperson of the career fair organising committee, observed that whereas companies out there are looking for talent, some of the youth have been intimidated in jumping in for such opportunities.
He noted that the event provided a perfect opportunity for them to engage, listen to the boardroom expectations, and even engage with the people that they wouldn’t have been able to engage with. This, he said will help in the fight against unemployment.
“So, when we have executives invited to such an event, it gives them an opportunity to engage and also ask questions which are relevant, probably that they have been having, and those aching questions to help them make decisions in their career path,” Balikuddembe said.
“At least it makes a contribution. Now today we have 66 jobs on offer from the partners that are here on on site recruitment. So these jobs are not advertised anywhere. So that is one opportunity,” he said.