The University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development) in Kumasi has launched its maiden Career Connect Fair to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world employment.
The two-day event is designed to bring students face-to-face with employers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders while creating opportunities for networking, internships, mentorship, career growth, and development.
Held on the university’s campus and organised by the Centre for Business Incubation and Innovation in partnership with the Education Collaborative, the event was themed “Enhancing Employability: Bridging Students’ Potential with Industry Opportunities.”
The programme featured addresses from leading industry figures such as Dr. Daniel McKorley, President of McDan Group, and Mr. Eric Adjei, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), alongside university leadership.
Addressing the gathering, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, said education is incomplete until learning translates into service, productivity, and innovation.
He described Career Connect as more than a career fair, calling it “a meeting of possibilities.”
“Education is not complete until learning finds expression in service, productivity and innovation. Career Connect is not a career fair but a meeting of possibilities. It is where the dreams of students encounter the needs of employers. It is where industries searching for solutions meet young people preparing to provide them. It is where ambition finds direction and potential discovers purpose,” Prof. Sarfo said.
He urged graduating students to see the fair as more than a networking event and encouraged them to remain resilient despite job market challenges.
“To the graduating students, you are entering a world evolving at an unprecedented pace. Some jobs of the future do not yet exist. The challenges ahead are complex and interconnected, but do not be intimidated by the uncertainty of the future,” he said.
“Your graduate qualification is not merely the certificate you are receiving, but your capacity to learn, unlearn, adapt, innovate and effectively cope with new technology and opportunities in the future job market,” he added.
In remarks to students, Mr. Eric Adjei, CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), encouraged participants to embrace entrepreneurship and innovation as the surest path to economic independence.
He described the fair as an important educational initiative critical to national growth, saying it merits support as it would equip students to drive job creation and economic transformation.
“This is a very educational programme that will give opportunities to young entrepreneurs. I can confidently say this department is doing well, so let’s keep motivating them. I know that at the end of the day, whatever they are doing, the impact will be felt in Ghana in general,” he said.
Mr. Adjei said the Mahama administration remains committed to supporting young entrepreneurs through funding, training, and mentorship.
He noted that the Students Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) Programme, introduced by NEIP in partnership with the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), is designed to help tertiary students and recent graduates turn innovative ideas into viable and sustainable businesses.
He encouraged students to take advantage of the programme and sign up.
He also highlighted other flagship initiatives aimed at helping Ghanaians, particularly the youth, access jobs and build livelihoods, including “One Million Coders,” which is training one million citizens in digital and software skills, and “Adwumawura,” a job-creation programme providing start-up capital, business training, and market linkages to young entrepreneurs.
Mr. Adjei added that government would continue to scale up such interventions, noting that entrepreneurship remains key to reducing unemployment and driving long-term economic transformation.
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