Do you ever think about the future of job market? What will happen to fresh graduates since the quality of education provided in schools and universities does not necessarily fully prepare students to create or secure jobs after graduation?
This January, SOLVIT AFRICA organized a training program to solve unemployment in partnership with DSAA and GIZ. Two weeks into the training Nadege Gaju might have stumbled upon the most significant find of her life! In this article, you will know all about her experience so far and what the hopes are for the future.
Gaju heard about this program from a friend. Since finishing school, she has longed for an opportunity to improve her expertise in the sector, and now it was there. Gaju shared how nervous she was about being called in the last batch of interviews while all her friends had already secured their seats. However, all things change after she received the email.
“It’s hard enough for a girl to join the tech sector, (especially) being employed in it!” said Gaju. This training offered a platform for me to go beyond my academic proficiency. I joined the technology sector in 2016, where I earned a diploma in software engineering from the University of Rwanda. Africa being the next largest workforce globally, it’s imminent for young people to get hands-on skills. Gaju shared that the training went beyond academia but focused on the current industrial needs that could make one easily be hireable.
In the beginning, it was hard to synchronize our skills to work on tasks as a team. Some were already very knowledgeable and others on the lower end of the spectrum. However, as we got to know each other along with our trainers’ guidance, we arrived on a common ground where everyone could learn and benefit from each other.”
Gaju is from Gisenyi, a city near the Rwandan and DRC border. She shared that most companies are not geared for digitalization yet but she is convinced that it is the direction where the business world is heading. “Now that I have become more (skilled) with programming, I want (to digitally support one) business at a time in Gisenyi.”
