In Ethiopia, there is an entrenched cultural emphasis on attending school and receiving a degree. However, the concept of career readiness prior to graduation is still a nascent concept. Eyob Addisu, 21, is a fourth-year Electronic Mechatronics major at Dire-Dawa Polytechnic College. While he is looking forward to graduation, he also worries about life after school. He tells a painful and familiar story of his peers who worked hard to get a good education, only to languish in a world of non or under-employment. He is aware of the hopelessness this creates and the difficulty in remaining motivated.
“For four years, all I focused on was how to be a student. I had not thought ahead of holding my degree. In hindsight, I realise that my lack of action stemmed from the fact that most of the students that graduated before me are unemployed,” reflects Eyob.
The Amref-led – Integrated Youth Activity (Kefeta project) initiated a series of training on campus specifically focused on developing life skills, effective work habits, and the art and science of looking for and landing gainful employment. Eyob was one of the first-round trainees.
“The training exposed me to ways of looking for work. I understood that it is not about sitting and waiting or applying for just one job and waiting for a response. This has been a major shift in how I think about my future. I learned how to strategise.”
Eyob is now well versed in goal setting, dynamic approaches to looking for a job, entrepreneurship, and managing emotions. “I feel like this training is equally important as the degree I am receiving,” he adds.