The Design and Technology (DTI) has organised a two-day Career Fair to help its learners familiarise themselves with career opportunities available on the job market and how to secure them.
The two-day event which formed part of DTI’s effort to provide learners with employment resources and opportunities brought together approximately 29 top-tier companies from various industries, including agriculture, information technology, manufacturing, oil and gas among others.
The event provided learners with the opportunity to network with potential employers to gain insights into internship and employment opportunities directly from the representatives of the participating companies.
Speaking at the event in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of DTI, Ms. Constance Swaniker said “At DTI, we believe that it is critical to prepare and equip our learners with the necessary employability skills so that they can succeed in the workplace.”
According to her, report by the Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) indicated that, only 10 per cent of graduates find jobs after their first year of completing their tertiary education.
“This raises questions over the impact of the various interventions instituted by the government and institutions to address the situation,” he stated.
Ms Swaniker said ensuring that learners were employed or start their own businesses after completing their studies was DTI’s top priority.
“We are excited to use an event like this to connect our learners with recruiters to facilitate internship and employment opportunities,” she added.
Interacting with the learners, MsAkua Bema Asante, Assistant Registrar at the University of Professional Studies, who was the special guest spoke on the relevance of soft skills in the world of work, and advised them to continuously reinvent themselves to add value to their professional careers.
She believed that this would go a long way to guarantee that they become successful professionals in their chosen fields.
“You must constantly pursue new and innovative ways to refreshen your knowledge and skills in order to keep up with the rapidly changing world of work. The world is constantly changing, and you must adapt in order to meet the changing demands of consumers and industry,” she added.
The Industry and Workplace Coordinator at DTI, MrMubarik Ahmed, reiterated the importance for academia to collaborate with industry “While the fair provides an opportunity for the corporate Ghana to engage with DTI, it also helps the institute gain an understanding of the opportunities and challenges that exist within the corporate workplace.”
“The fair has not only provided a platform for companies to engage with students on various career development levels, but has also been an opportunity for them to get to know the learners beyond their CV and academic qualifications,” Mr Ahmed said.
Companies that participated in the fair expressed their excitement for the event and commended DTI for providing a forum for learners to learn about career opportunities and the requirements for professional success.
Learners also displayed some of prototype products developed and other projects as part of the fair.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
