Gulu University Faculty of Education and Humanities is partnering with VVOB Education for Development, a Non-Governmental Organization supporting Education in Uganda targeting mainly students doing programmes at the Faculty of Education and Humanities.
The project which is three years long would be giving Career Guidance lectures to the students in the Faculty of Education featuring many Educational experts locally,nationally and at international level as a boost of inspiration for the learners at Gulu University.
Dr. John Bismark Okumu, Coordinator of School Practice at Gulu University, Faculty of Education and Humanities, said in an exclusive interview that the partnership is to provide career guidance to prepare students for the job market.
“This project will help students to be taken through problem-based learning, studies and career guidance so that when they go out there, they are able to help the community and the students they will be teaching”. Dr Okumu submitted.
“We are cognizant of the skills we should provide our learners because what they need now are 21st century skills and our curriculum uniqueness is of high value to the country”. He boasted.
The project started with the first Career Guidance Lecture on the 7th October 2023 where it was officially opened by Dr. Okello Collins the Dean Faculty of Agriculture and Environments who was representing Gulu University Vice-Chancellor. He quoted Nelson Mandella that ‘Education is the most powerful Weapon we can use to change the world’.
Dr. Okello also challenged the teachers and students to use their expertise to achieve social change in their communities.
“I challenge you to encourage more female students to pursue careers in sciences’’.
After three years, this project would be evaluated if indeed it meets its set objective of preparing students for the job market and making them self-sustainable in a bid to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country.
Curriculum scholars like Dr. John Bismark Okumu believes that this project would also support bridging the gaps for many students who could have missed career guidance at an early stage of their studies before joining the university.
Bram Thibaut, the Education Manager at VVOB Education for Development, said that they thought of partnering with the University to equip the students with knowledge that will support them after graduation.
According to him, through career guidance, the beneficiaries will not go out and float but instead look for solutions as well as create their jobs.
A recent report by the 49th State of the Nation Platform, the rate of unemployment in Uganda currently stands between 64% and 70%. This, added to about 400,000 youths annually released to the job market, makes the competition even more stiff as there are approximately 9,000 jobs available.
