Hundreds of youths across the Central Region on Tuesday turned up for the second edition of the Career Fair organized by the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) Foundation.
Dubbed: “Strategic positioning for the job market” the fair brought on board banks and Micro, Small, and medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs) that offered qualified individuals’ jobs, some of whom had remained unemployed for years without jobs.
The companies include agriculture, Agro-processing, and fruit processing companies, through to insurance and fashion and design.
The platform was geared towards exchanging information and knowledge, essential to developing the skills of students to meet the demands of today’s job market.
Some of the youth who thronged the University of Cape Coast New Examination Centre (NEC) were taken through emotional intelligence and critical thinking, design thinking for positive change, social media etiquette, CV writing and expectations at the workplace, and financial management.
Opening the fair, Dr. Dominic Kwesi Eduah, Chairman of GNPC Foundation, said the fair was in tandem with the government’s vision to train the youth in entrepreneurship skills for them to create their own jobs and employ others.
The Foundation, he stated, was determined to improve the livelihoods of young people by equipping them with the requisite skilled training and expressed his delight for the opportunity to leverage the expertise of the youth of Ghana.
Working closely with educational establishments and organizations that seek competence and high aptitudes from graduates across the country, the Foundation realized the need to help the youth bridge the gap in career and counseling.
He advised the youth to take advantage of the facility by enrolling to develop their skills and expertise for self-employment.
Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), charged students to strategically position themselves for the job market.
According to him, getting the knowledge and competencies was not enough hence one needs to learn and adopt the right attitude to deal with clients.
They should develop a plan to upgrade and sharpen their skills to meet the trend of service clients and customers may require.
He further noted that many opportunities abound in the entrepreneurship arena and young people should endeavour to venture into it, to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.
“The world is moving towards a trajectory where young people must identify their talents and add value to ensure creativity and long-lasting opportunities to change the narrative,” Dr. Hamid advised.
Ms. Agartha Adusei Opoku, a level 400 nursing student, was grateful for the initiative and called for regular engagements to empower more youth in the country.
