Africa-Press – Uganda. EMPLOYMENT | EDUCATION |Dressed in their gowns early this year, some graduates staged a protest at different city roundabouts with placards reading: ‘What Next?’This was after labour market conditions failed to satisfy or meet their expectations. However, a study by the School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences at Makerere University has found that most youth do not possess the skills needed by employers in the labour market.As a result, the study titled: Skills Matching, Wages and Productivity Gains: Creating a Competitive Advantage for Ugandan Youth in the Labour Market, revealed that most employers have opted for on-job training to equip workers with the necessary skills to fi t into a job.The purpose of the study was to explain the relevance of skills matching in bridging wage differentials and enhancing productivity with particular attention paid to the youth labour force.”The high level of skills mismatch leaves many youths poorly prepared for work, thus increasing the chances of being unemployed or underemployed. At a macro-level, skills mismatch impedes economic growth,” Dr Joweria Mayanja Teera, the chair in the department of economic theory and analysis at the College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University, said while presenting the report.Skills mismatch refers to a situation where there is a gap between the skills and education qualifications.The frequency with which skills mismatch is referred in the study creates the impression that it is a major policy issue and one which calls for considerable policy scrutiny over the performance of education and training systems.High and persistent levels of unemployment, together with job vacancies that remain unfilled are often attributed to a mismatch between jobs and skills.Dr Teera noted that a greater percentage of employers prefer employees with organisational and social-economic skills as compared to the other skills, such as technical.”Bridging the skills gap enables employers to boost employee productivity, quality and innovation. It also strengthens one’s job security. The majority of employers consider on-job training to equip workers with the necessary skills.”But if someone is over skilled in terms of organisational skills, there is a 49% chance of getting a lower wage. This means being over skilled is a disadvantage. However, in regard to technical skills, over skilled employees receive a higher wage,” she added.Technical skills look at someone’s ability towards constructing the working environment and also planning ahead for the organisation.The outbreak of the pandemic has had a dramatic impact on Uganda’s labour market. Experts predict more Ugandans are likely to slide back into unemployment as companies resort to job cuts to manage spending.Most job openings in the near future are projected to be knowledge and skill-intensive jobs.Job creation is key in tackling high and increasingly persistent unemployment and underemployment. However, experts say promoting jobs without paying due attention to their quality and skills required may only buy time and ultimately prolong the jobs crisis.Uganda’s National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2016/17 by Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated that the working age population (14-64 years) was estimated at nearly 19 million, with more females than males (52% and 48% respectively).About 10% of the employed population did not possess any formal education, while 67% did not have any trade or technical skills or specialisation.Status in employment showed that self-employment, which constitutes own account workers, family workers formed the majority of the employed, with a proportion of 56 %.Labour ministry speaks outAccording to the director of labour and employment at the gender ministry, Martin Wandera, the study presents fertile ground for the Government to address the unemployment question.”Some of the required technical skills are largely acquired on the job. There is a need to develop a work-based learning policy and relax requirements needed for some of our technical institutions to interest the youth,” he said. RecommendationThe study suggests that the Government puts in place policies that improve the responsiveness of the education system to the changing labour market needs. It suggests that this can be achieved by engaging employers in determining the content of education curricula in order to ensure its relevancy to the needs of the labour market.It also recommends that students should be equipped with a solid foundation of organisational skills, technical skills, participative skills, generic skills, and social-emotional competencies.Govt to cancel over 400 land titlesObbo said they were responding to a compliant from NFA, which is mandated by law to manage 506 forest reserves across the country.
