By GIDEON NYENDWA
ZANACO has offered jobs to five best graduating students at the University of Lusaka (UNILUS) and offered to support the best five who choose to venture into entrepreneurship.
Officiating at the UNILUS 13th graduation ceremony, Zanaco Chief Executive Officer Mukwandi Chibesakunda said it was important for graduates to be psychologically, emotionally and socially ready for the modern employers and business market because that was they could harness the value of their education.
She said graduates have a choice and this who choose to enter the job market were they need to be aware that it was rapidly involving and in in the advert of digital involution this request advance set of skills and competencies than it was decades ago.
Ms. Chibesakunda said Zanaco and other employers were looking for individual who would adapt to change, think critically and have a strong ability to learn and apply new skills, acquiring a degree was the first step in attaining that.
And UNILUS vice chancellor, Professor Pinalo Chifwanakeni said the graduation came at time when the value of tertiary education was being questioned of its relevance because the people who graduated from various institutions before today had not done much to change societies in which they come from.
Prof Chifwanakeni said it was the expectations of society that as people go out after graduating people must see tangible value of the investment and time that had gone in acquiring that education.
He said it was unfortunate that most graduates in this country were consumers and not innovators and most of the graduates want to be employed and not to be entrepreneurs.
Prof Chifwanakeni said those who were fortunate enough to be employed, their attitude towards work was always negative and expect a salary they have not worked for.
“This is draining the resources of the nation or institution, it is our belief as UNILUS that as you go out there you shall change the perception that society has,” he said.
Prof Chifwanakeni said it was in the public domain that most innovators were not university graduates and that was the perception that needed to be changed.
Meanwhile UNILUS chancellor Caleb Fundanga said the graduation came at a time when there were no jobs in Zambia anymore because of several factors affecting the country which has change the face of the job market. Dr. Fundanga said people should not worry about what they were going to do with the degree when they graduate because the knowledge they acquire to do something for themselves.
He gave an example of UNILUS that was born out of entrepreneurship because a group of people decided not to go and work for others.
“They are the kind of Zambians we want, you don’t have to do an entrepreneurial course for you to become an entrepreneur just acquiring a degree is enough to get you started with the knowledge that you have,” he said.
The UNILUS 13th graduation Ceremony was held under the theme the value of education.