Project Coordinator for Civil Society and Institutional Foundation (CSIF) Madam Nadia Bandaago has charged graduates to pay attention to basic skills needed to improve their chances of getting a job.
She believes the growing competitiveness of the job market demands students to be more innovative to make impact on the nation’s socio-economic growth.
Addressing the Upper East Executives of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) in a one-day employability training programme in Bolgatanga, which focused on the areas of writing Curriculum vitae (CV) and interviewing skills, Nadia Ali Bandaago said she has discovered that most graduates lack the basic skills in developing a marketable CV as well as tips to go through a successful job interview.
“…Before you could get the job there are some you have to present your documents, it could be your in certificate but there is one that tells everything about you, ” she said.
“Someone who could just read your and say that is enough for them depending on how you do the presentation.”
About 150 unemployed graduates and final year tertiary students participated in the one-day employability training programme held at Catholic Social Centre in Upper East regional capital Bolgatanga.
She said developing the skills for proper presentation of a CV can cast graduates in a whole new light.
Nadia Bandaago and her foundation have worked with more than 100 organisations In capacity building of some of the youth the country.
She explained why her outfit chose to partner the leadership of the National Service Personnel for the training program, which sponsorship from CISU and AfriCAN.
” As local NGO who have been working with young people and student leaders and we chose to partner with NASPA because they are leaders of tomorrow,” she said.
“From school where do they move onto”?
“You can talk about the likes of Okudjeto, from school he has gone straight into our parliament to lead all of us.
“So we thought of that and realise that now even after school the students become graduates but how many are employed?”
She intimated that the project hopes to build the competencies of unemployed graduates to be self employed.
Nadia Ali Bandaago, who is a Mechanical Engineer by training and a Social Worker by practice, encouraged the youth to move out of their comfort zone and to explore the real world to identify opportunities that can be exploited.
The training under a one year project dubbed “Students Leaders for Change” which is being implemented in the Upper East, Northern and Upper West Regions in the month of July.
The training by the CSIF forms part of the foundation’s objective of building the capacity of the youth and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills to improve their standards of living.
Some of the trainees who spoke to the media were grateful for the opportunity, noting that they have been blessed with some basic guidelines that will prepare well for the job market after their one year mandatory service to the nation.
Watch the short video below