Mohau Serabele
Maputsoe
A group of concerned teachers based in Leribe have organised a career-guidance expo scheduled for today in Maputsoe.
The event is expected to bring together high school students from across Leribe district, and seeks to help the youngsters make wise career-choices.
One of the organisers of the exhibition, Tumelo Khasane, said it was important students were given the necessary guidance regarding their careers, before it was too late.
“The expo we are holding on Sunday is aimed at helping young people make wise and informed career-choices based on labour-market demands and the kind of skills that are needed in Lesotho,” Mr Khasane said.
“The expo will be unique as it is also aimed at encouraging the students, especially girls, to pursue science-based careers.
“We are particularly looking at the young girls in order to break the traditional stereotype that science careers are only for males.
“Yet the truth is everyone, male and female, has the ability to study science and engineering. We are hoping that after this expo, young girls will be challenged to go for science-based careers,” he said.
Mr Khasane further revealed the expo is the brainchild of three friends, who are concerned by the increasing number of unemployed university graduates in Lesotho.
“Over the years, we have seen many young people coming out of tertiary institutions with high hopes of making it big in life.
However, the sad reality is these youths end up idling, and unemployed, despite holding degrees and diplomas,” he said.
Mr Khasane added this development has become cause for concern, hence today’s career-guidance fair.
“We are of the opinion that many of our young graduates fall into the unemployment trap because they make wrong career-choices, which are sometimes not in line with Lesotho’s labour-market needs.
“We are, therefore, hoping that Sunday’s activity will help young people fully understand the social and economic needs of this country, so that they can decide on careers that will put them in a better position to find jobs.”
Speakers set to address the youngsters would be drawn from the National University of Lesotho, Centre for Accounting Studies, National Health Training Centre, Lesotho Agricultural College, as well as Lesotho College of Education.
“We have also invited the Leribe business community to come and talk to the youngsters and hopefully inspire them to get into business.”
Mr Khasane, who is also a life-coach based in the industrial town of Maputsoe, further noted one of the available tools to fight unemployment among the graduates is to encourage them to venture into business.
“Many of our young graduates go for years looking for employment, without success. The career-expo we are holding on Sunday will, hopefully, help them realise that they can also earn a living as entrepreneurs,” he said.
According to Mr Khasane, there was need to encourage young graduates to venture into business rather than waste time looking for jobs that are simply not there.
“The businesspeople who are going to be talking to the youths at our expo, will most probably inspire more young people to venture into business.
“Our young people need to understand that no business is too demeaning for them.
“Being a graduate does not mean one cannot go into the streets to sell fruits or even fat-cakes.
“Business is business and when handled with care, it can create a lot of jobs for many young people who are currently locked in this desperate trap of unemployment.”
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