Opinion article by Belinda Janeke, Head of Career Services in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of the Free State.
More than half of the youth in South Africa are unemployed. Although a tertiary qualification increases your chances of finding a job, a staggering 32,6% of graduates are still unemployed. This is unacceptably high. As universities, it is our duty to help decrease the graduate unemployment rate by producing highly employable graduates.
Employability is one of the key drivers in the University of the Free State’s (UFS)
Vision 130. As an institution of higher learning, we have always supported employability and ensured that our students are skilled according to industry standards. UFS
Career Services is known for cultivating relationships between the industry and students, and many successful applicants have completed our programmes before stepping into the job market.
Coming soon: Virtual Career Hub
This year, the Career Services Office is looking forward to technological developments in the field of career readiness. The virtual Career Hub will be a space where students and employers can make initial contact and where students can grow their employability by tracking their skills completion.
Continuous job placements
In the meantime, our newly appointed placement officers in UFS Career Services are being trained to assist students with job placements. We help students to compile a professional CV tailored to market requirements, a convincing cover letter, and a LinkedIn page that gets noticed. To make sure that students are fully prepared and confident, we also offer interview coaching and career plan development.
We have already achieved much success with our employability support and look forward to the data that will be generated by the Career Hub. All students (from first year to postgraduates) are encouraged to connect with UFS Career Services to help increase their employability. Let your degree work for you by making sure that you are work ready.