Rwanda is experiencing a surge in numbers of youths graduating from tertiary institutions in various disciplines but there are no proportional jobs to accomodate them.
The youth are calling upon the government to diversify from the ordinary trend of chunningout job seekers but rather have a system that will produce job creators upon graduation.
A number of students currently pursuing different academic qualifications at Mount Kenya University, Kigali campus, attest to the fact that unlike in the past, when graduates were very few on the labour market, things have changed.
According to Mfura Baraka Felix, who is pursuing a masters degree in the department of information sciences, there is need to focus on research mainly centred on private sector development to be able to absorb the graduates who complete studies in thousands annually.
“Government is unable to give jobs to everyone that graduates. Unlike in the past. There is need to develop the private sector focusing on developing special projects that may be supported by government and other development partners,” said Baraka.
Meanwhile, Kamwine Rebecca says, unemployment is a situation where an individual has the necessary skills to work but is out of a job.
Kamwine speaks of how she plans to overcome unemployment when she finally gets her bachelor’s degree in mass media and communication.
“Since I am aware there are few jobs available on market, I want to start by offering my services as a volunteer at any organisation. I will acquire skills of how to serve others rather than wait to be served.”
Kamwine also plans not to undermine jobs however small they may appear. “A small job could lead me to a bigger one.” said Kamwine, who is in her first trimester.
Asked how they think government should go about ensuring that the many youth who complete education do not spend years on the street in search for work, the students had different ideas.
“The government should make it easier for the public to secure loans as capital for investment, and this should be done through linking the gap between financial institutions and the public,” says Richard Muganga, who is pursuing a degree in finance and banking.
For Baraka, government should improve education, to build a firm human resource, since the country is not bestowed with abundant natural resources or even have access to the sea.
Kamwine said, “government should sensitize the youth on job creation rather than seeking for the few jobs that are available which are unable to accommodate all of them basing on the large numbers of the educated and unemployed.”
As a way of curbing unemployment, the MKU students also say that technical courses should be prioritized because with them it is easy for someone to start their own business with limited capital, because of the availability of hands-on-skills.
Mfura, says, “as I study technical courses I believe this is the best choice for the future and I hope to be self employed by doing technical work after my studies. Prospective opportunities include personal computer repair and maintenance, networking support, web mastering and design, and all these I will be able to do upon graduation.”
To ease the pressure on government, the students called for private sector growth so as to boost the employment sector.
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