Africa-Press – Uganda. BrighterMonday Uganda in partnership with the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) is set to host a two-day Career Fair at IUIU Mbale Campus.
The career fair aims to equip over 1,000 young people from the Eastern Region with both technical and essential soft skills to enhance their employability.
The fair, scheduled for 27 to 28 October, will bring together 50 employers and hundreds of graduating students and job seekers in what organisers describe as a dynamic link between job seekers and the labour market.
The event will feature soft skills training workshops, career readiness sessions, employer access booths, CV and cover letter enhancement clinics, entrepreneurship mentorship corners, salary negotiation workshops, and live interview simulations with employers.
Speaking during the launch held at IUIU Kampala Campus, Grace Audrey Imma, Head of Learning and Development at BrighterMonday Uganda, expressed appreciation for the partnership and emphasized the urgency of preparing young people for the world of work.
“I would like to thank our host, the IUIU team. We are more than grateful that you granted us the opportunity to partner, to work together. But also above all, it shows your commitment to the young people that you are graduating year in, year out from IUIU as a prestigious institution in the country,” she said.
She explained that while universities like IUIU are doing a commendable job in producing technically skilled graduates, there remains a gap in soft skills which employers consider equally critical.
“The university is doing the perfect job of ensuring that the young people graduate with relevant technical skills. I know, for example, IUIU has a very amazing medical school, the law school, and an engineering school. However, what is lacking, coming from the employer side where we work, is the disconnect between the technical skills and soft skills.”
Imma highlighted that the fair will focus on bridging that gap.
“Some of the soft skills lacking among young people include effective communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, creativity, and commitment to tasks till the very end. Therefore, our commitment is to ensure that no youth is left behind simply because of soft skills.”
She added that all soft skills trainings will be free, and youth will also interact directly with employers through live interview booths and AI-powered career tools.
“We are going to have booths of interview sessions between potential employers and the youth. We are also going to have an area where the youth are going to be able to negotiate for their salaries. So all this is in our AI career tool, but we are also going to do this physically so that the youth get a real-life opportunity to interact with employers.”
Dr. Ahmed Twaha Kasule, Director of IUIU Kampala Campus, welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and aligned with the university’s mission to produce graduates who are work-ready.
“We are very grateful for this collaboration between IUIU and BrighterMonday Uganda. This is on the theme of education, employability and partnerships. As a top academic institution, this is a great opportunity that we have a partner who can speak to our students about careers, what they are expected to have in terms of skills, and prepare them for the world of work.”
He noted that the timing of the fair, coming just before IUIU’s graduation season, will provide graduates with an invaluable head start in the job market.
“We hope that even those who will be graduating still have an opportunity with this coming two days, and they will be able to pick some pieces to enter the market.”
This Career Fair, first of its kind in Eastern region, marks a major step towards reducing youth unemployment by equipping young people with not just academic qualifications, but also the confidence, skills, and exposure they need to thrive in the modern labour market.
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