Be professional for success, graduates told

Examinations deputy secretary at the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (Ubteb) Wilfred Nahamya has advised graduates to exercise the highest level of professionalism to succeed in their careers.

Nahamya also urged graduates to uphold values that will support their continuous professional development.

“Aim higher and pursue service with excellence. You have been equipped with different skills but skills without values are not fruitful. As qualified technicians at different levels, do the right thing with the right attitude and build relations that will sustain you in your careers,” Nahamya made remarked at the graduation of 47 Ubteb candidates at ISBAT University campus in Kamapala on Thursday.

The 47 graduates who received professional certificates in the fields of multimedia and software engineering were also challenged to make contributions to various sectors in their local communities.

“Maximize your skills and potential to provide ICT based education solutions to boost and support effective and efficient service delivery,” he observed.

He added: “The development of software and other related applications have made the cost of doing business easy and you can have a big role to play. Continue to innovate and introduce more innovations to support different sectors.”

According to Nahamya, Ubteb certificates are demand driven and can provide opportunities to students who have completed ordinary level education or other levels to specialize and start their professional journey of becoming ICT professionals.

ISBAT University vice chancellor Mathew Kattamplackal encouraged graduands to consider upgrading academically.

“The certificate will earn you meaningful employment but aim at technologically advancing your studies. You are the lifeline of the institution with much hope for the future and a better Uganda and the world. The certificate will only open avenues for higher education and professional advancement,” Kattamplackal emphasized.

Peter Mbabazi, the dean of the faculty of business and commerce at the university advised the graduates to grow confidently.

“Employers look beyond what you studied on paper. They look at competencies, complex thinking abilities, communication skills and responsibilities at hand. Be ready to provide solutions in line with what you studied and your work,” Mbabazi noted.

Uganda has the youngest population in the world with ongoing skills development initiatives targeting the youth, who comprise over 70 per cent of the country’s over 46million people population.