Ms. Swaniker speaking with the students during the fair
The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has organized a two-day Career Fair to help its learners familiarize themselves with career opportunities available on the job market and how to secure them.
The two-day event brought together approximately 29 top-tier companies from various industries, including agriculture, information technology, manufacturing, and oil & gas.
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.
They, in turn, took part in speed interviews and networking sessions to test their technical and professional skills as part of their transitioning into the world of work.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Constance Swaniker, Founder and CEO of DTI, remarked, “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 the Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), only 10% 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.
“Ensuring that learners are employed or start their own businesses after completing their studies remains 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 further stated.
Interacting with the learners, Akua 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 believes that this will 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,” he added.
The Industry and Workplace Coordinator at DTI, Mr. Mubarik 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.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri