Each year, universities and tertiary institutions usher in a new wave of graduates, each specialising in various fields. Since the beginning of the year, more than five universities have conducted graduation ceremonies.
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) records show that there are 47 universities, nine of which are public, nine degree-awarding institutions, and 207 other tertiary institutions. All these send their students into the world of work annually, where they find thousands of other graduates floating without what to do.
Notable institutions such as Uganda Christian University’s Kampala and Mukono campuses, Uganda Martyrs University – Nkozi, Nkumba University, Makerere University, and many others have released these fresh graduates into the job market. However, the question that lingers is, what truly awaits these accomplished graduates with their hard-earned degrees in hand?
According to National Planning Authority (NPA), statistics released show that 700,000 people join the job market every year regardless of the qualification but only 90,000 get something to do. This translates to 87 percent of people ready to work but can’t find a job.
Dr. Hamis Mugendawala the NPA senior planner in charge of education noted once in an interview that 20 percent of those who find jobs are underemployed. He cited the case of teachers who have now shunned their teaching profession for bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) riding to earn a living.
Uganda is grappling with the challenge of youth underemployment (27%) and unemployment (9.4%) (UBOS, 2018). Many young people who are considered to have jobs are only trapped in survivalist activities characterised by precarious work, poor pay, and, consequently, high poverty rates.
According to Mr. Partick Kaboyo, the secretary for education of non-state education institutions, every individual who has invested in schooling is expected to harvest some dividends. But he explained that when these don’t come by it doesn’t matter what qualification one has they must find alternatives to ensure they meet the daily basic needs such as food and shelter which have become too expensive for many Ugandans
Considerable blame has been put on and attention paid to the education system for – as the dominant narratives go – producing job seekers not job makers and for churning out unemployable graduates. It follows, therefore, that diverse stakeholders have demanded educational reform to focus on skills development, especially in the areas of vocational and technical skills as well as entrepreneurship skills to foster job creation.
“I am tired of the 1989 human resource manual we have been using (to train students). We need to know how much human resources we need in which areas and skills are required. We can’t continue to be blamed for things that are not of our making, ” Dr. Florence Nakayiwa Makerere University Director for planning and development noted once in an interview
A paper titled “Emphasise Soft Skills in Uganda’s Education System to Respond to the Unemployment Challenge” by Benjamin Rukwengye highlights that for Uganda to answer the unemployment question, its education system must shift from the current model of teaching to test, and the emphasis on memorization and certificates, and move to an education system that enables learners to participate, analyze and apply knowledge to create. The education system must emphasise essential soft skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, negotiation, people management, and collaboration, all of which have been identified by the World Economic Forum as crucial for the enhancement of employment.
The paper further highlights that a key aspect missing in Uganda’s employment- education debate is the criticality of soft skills. Soft skills in the form of critical thinking, questioning, problem-solving, negotiation, people management, collaboration, and communication are important for increasing employment outcomes in many aspects. The development of soft skills not only enhances employability but is crucial for the development and success of entrepreneurship (Holmberg-Wright, 2016).
Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework for categorizing educational goals and objectives, encompasses six levels of cognitive skills. In the context of Uganda’s examination system, there is a predominant focus on the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, such as knowledge and comprehension, characterized by an overemphasis on memorization and reproduction of facts. This approach falls short in fostering the higher-order thinking skills of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, which are indispensable for comprehensive education and the development of soft skills essential for real-world achievements.
Students on the verge of graduation, as well as recent graduates, have voiced their opinions on the education system and their post-graduation expectations.
“As a graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, I have high hopes for securing a job. My internship experience was quite successful, and I’ve built valuable connections that could potentially lead to employment.” Said Adella Silvia
“In the job market, luck plays a role, but the skills I’ve gained during my university years are of utmost importance in shaping my post-campus life,” said Julius Kamukama a 2023 graduate
“To my fellow students, I would advise you to nurture productive relationships with your peers and don’t hesitate to approach your lecturers if you’re seeking job opportunities that align with your interests,” said Nakalule Dorothy, a student Graduating in 2024
Youth unemployment remains a serious policy challenge in many sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda.
Causes of youth unemployment in Uganda are multifaceted, ranging from insufficient employable skills (i.e., youth possess skills that are not compatible with available jobs), high rates of labour force growth in the country, and inadequate investment/supply of jobs.
The Ministry of Gender’s migrant labour report, spanning from 2016 to a portion of 2022, reveals that an estimated average of 24,086 Ugandans depart their homeland annually in pursuit of job opportunities, primarily in the Middle East.
According to the 2020 World Bank’s second report on Uganda’s job market, approximately 700,000 young individuals enter the workforce annually. This number is projected to increase to an average of one million within the decade spanning from 2030 to 2040.
The report also estimates that by 2030, an additional 13 million workers will join the labour market. Considering Uganda’s high dependency ratio of 1:42 dependents per employed person, the country must enhance labour productivity and create more jobs to align with the per capita income growth observed in economies with lower dependency ratios, as highlighted in the World Bank report.
Uganda has implemented several programmes aimed at creating employment specifically for youth. These policies consist of those aimed at providing an enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs and those targeted at building the skills and requisite knowledge to make youth more employable.
