That burning hope in job seekers should be a national role

The Rwanda Job Fair is only an annual initiative, but there is no doubt wishes rent the air that it should have been a monthly activity in the economic sector. At its second engagement this week, at least 1,200 job seekers, 70 per cent of them university graduates, were connected to various organisations/ employers.It is not every day that one can finds such a concerted effort in a global economy that, five years later, is still feeling the effects of the 2008 economic recession. Unemployment at the time shot to record highs.However, a highly commendable trend that has seen the national unemployment rate drop to just about 2 per cent as of last year still has thousands of Rwandan youth on the streets.At the second fair organised by Job in Rwanda Association, thousands of job-seekers thronged and braved queues to interact with prospective employers and gauge their chances on the job market radar.Testimonies of job seekers that they have spent some five or so years applying for jobs, sitting interviews and still failing to map their dream should not be treated as far-fetched. Such initiatives that bring together employers with potential employees should be supported.Nonetheless, our education system needs to continually address the existing skills gap in various fields by increasingly responding to the ever-changing needs of the labour market, rather than maintaining the status-quo. Most importantly, educationists and other stakeholders should continue with the process of empowering young Rwandans with entrepreneurial skills, which would give rise to generations of job-creators rather than seekers.