Graduates advised not to stay unemployed

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KAMA Group of Companies, Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, has advised graduates to resist the temptation of joining the Association of Unemployed Graduates and rather seize the opportunities in the country to create jobs for themselves and others.

Speaking at the 35th Congregation of the Christian Service University College (CSUC) in Kumasi last Saturday, Dr Addo argued that becoming a member of the association could consign one to perpetual unemployment, when there were several opportunities out there to exploit.

He reminded students joining the unemployed graduates association that there were no jobs out there to grab, as some of them believe. ?It is therefore important that you look at prevailing opportunities to create jobs for yourselves. ?

Dr Addo stated that ?The small-scale ventures you see around you, kenkey and kelewele, fried yam and the like are all opportunities. What you need to do is to use your education to innovate. ?

He emphasised that only the negative thinker would posit that such jobs were stumbling blocks to progress in life.

A total of 572 students graduated in Bachelor and Diploma programmes with 29 of them receiving first class honours in various degree programmes.

Among them was Graphic Communications Group Limited?s correspondent in Kumasi, Mr George Ernest Asare, who had First Class in Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies).

Speaking on the topic, ?The Winning Attitude,? Dr Addo, who was the guest speaker at the ceremony, told the graduates that in attempting to exploit the opportunities there may be setbacks but stressed that ?Your attitude determines how you look at the setbacks. ?

He indicated that the world was ready to accept, receive, honour and remunerate people with talents and positive attitudes.
Using himself as an example, Dr Addo said he started from virtually nowhere in 1986 but through the ?winning attitude? he has been able to make it.

The President of CSUC, Prof. Emmanuel Frempong, enumerated some of the progress chalked up by the institution, which included the introduction of new programmes and infrastructure development.

He however indicated that the university college could not meet its growing academic and infrastructure needs without adequate funding.

Consequently the university college was strategising to expand its income-generating base and launch a major fund raising campaign within the next three years.

Prof. Frempong disclosed that the university college had approved scholarships for three indigenes of Odeneho Kwadaso, the stool land on which the institutions stands, for brilliant needy students.

The Chairman of the CSUC Council, Prof Osei Safo-Kantanka, called for government regulations to ensure that standards were maintained in the face of the growing number of private universities.

He expressed regret that many state regulatory bodies in the education sector were not doing a good job.

He called for a reversion to the four-year senior high school system, since according to him; it was obvious that the three years were not productive enough.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Kwamohene, Nana Owusu Nianin, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, challenged graduates to stay home and help develop the nation.

He said there were opportunities at home to take advantage of, emphasising that there was no place better than home.



Source: Daily Graphic