Experts identify soft skills, personal branding as key to curb youth unemployment
As youth unemployment, which currently sits at 54 percent, continues to threaten the productivity level of Nigeria, improvement in soft skills and personal branding have been identified as key advantage graduates need to remain competitive in the job market space.
Amid the global competition for the few available jobs on ground, not a few industry experts have noted that if the undergraduates and recent graduates across the nation’s tertiary institutions are to land that dream job, extra efforts must be placed on soft skills and development of personal branding early, while still in school.
Olufemi Awoyemi, managing director, Proshare Nigeria Limited, in his presentation at a workplace readiness and employability seminar organised by alumni association of University of Lagos, advises that students must invest in personal branding and soft skills training because it provides the needed advantage in the global work space.
According to him, “From what I have seen in practice, more and more people are investing in their education but it will be nice to know that very few people are investing in personal branding. Branding goes a long way in your getting employed. The totality of your person determines your brand, which will be weighed against the expectation of today and tomorrow by your employers.
“So, in this current fast pace society that we find ourselves, pursuing a university degree is no longer enough. In fact, the minimum requirement is a post- graduate degree.”
Awoyemi observe that University education and the state of vocational education is under a lot of stress. Adding that emphasis is therefore for people to move towards technical education which those who are aware of the global economic crises has changed their curriculum just to cope with the new realities.
He further reveal that Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Problem solving skills, Technology skills, Management skills, Lifelong learning skills, Enterprise skills, Planning and organisation skills are key employability skills which every undergraduate and graduate must possess to stand a chance in today ever competitive world.
On his part, Lucky O. Idike, managing director, Eagle 8 Consulting noted that employability is about having the capability to gain initial employment, maintain employment and obtain new employment if required.
Idike in his presentation at the event disclosed that for the individual, employability depends on: their assets in terms of the knowledge, skills and attitudes they possess; the way they use and deploy those assets; the way they present them to employers; and crucially, the context within which they seek work.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Sunny Kuku, president University of Lagos Alumni association observes that in a situation where the nation is grappling with 54 percent of youth unemployment, the jobs that are available can only be taken by people who have being properly groomed and have the right education.
Lucian Obinnaya Chukwu, dean of post graduate studies, UNILAG, who represented the vice chancellor, says the alumni have been doing a lot for the university in various spheres of life, pointing out that the seminar is also one of those initiatives that UNILAG uses to reach out to students and prepare them for a better experience after they leave the shore of the university.
“I do hope and believe that the students would make better use of these opportunities as they abound. Therefore I have no doubt in my mind that the team that we have assembled here will do good justice to the topic” he says.
Kelechi Ewuzie