Prepare ground for smooth transition from school to work
It is not enough to raise a generation that is employable, it is also vital that the young people look beyond themselves. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- I sold mobile devices, airtime and SIM cards.
- I counted and banked the money we made, did inventory, and balanced the books to ensure that we didn’t make any losses or if made, account for them.
- I didn’t major in advertising and communication at university, but I managed to make a career out of it.
When I was in S6 vacation decades ago, I worked at my sister’s shop. She owned a Warid Franchise shop. For about six months, I made sure I was at work by 8am.
I sold mobile devices, airtime and SIM cards. I counted and banked the money we made, did inventory, and balanced the books to ensure that we didn’t make any losses or if made, account for them. At the time, this felt like a simple thing. I had time and the job was a good way to spend the time. The money was a welcome bonus, and the fact that I don’t remember how much I earned although I had enough money, shows that the economy has greatly changed since then.
I did it and life went on. For more than three years, I worked in the advertising and communication industry as an account management professional and in all the three organisations, I worked with, one of the clients I handled was a telecommunications company
I didn’t major in advertising and communication at university, but I managed to make a career out of it. This was possible because of a number of factors. My sister was successful and she inspired me to be a hard worker, principled and to set goals and take steps to achieve them
My early interaction with a work place environment prepared me for the school-to-work transition, equipped me with interpersonal, communication, and customer relations skills, among others.
It is not surprising that when I got the chance, I joined the Boundless Minds team. The Boundless Minds Leadership Corp, a nine-week training and mentorship programmes for S6 graduates, uses a three-way model (training, organisation placement and community service), to support their personal and career development.
This is very important because my story is not the norm.
According to Uneb, about 100,000 candidates sit UACE, but only about 50,000 join university. Those who drop out find no jobs. However, even some of those who graduate from university do not get employment sometimes due to lack of experience and skills.
This year’s group started in March with a six- day training and the corps are now preparing for their community service projects. From this training, they can now write emails professionally, with appropriate subjects, and language as well as applications and fundraising letters.
Training and organisation placement should fit into this approach to bridge the school-to-work transition so as to minimise the unemployment problem. But it is not enough to raise a generation that is employable, it is also vital that the young people look beyond themselves.
