In a bid to equip female students with the necessary skills for the job market, students at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Kabojja campus, have been urged to complement their academic knowledge with practical soft skills to succeed in the workforce.
This call was made during a career clinic held at IUIU Kabojja Female campus on Tuesday organized by BrighterMonday in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation under the GenKazi project.
Under the theme “Her Path, Her Power: Empowering Young Women for the Future of Work”, the event brought together private sector stakeholders, educators, and students to provide guidance on job readiness, entrepreneurship, and professional development.
Grace Audrey Imma, Head of Learning and Development at BrighterMonday, explained the purpose of the initiative:
“Under the GenKazi project that we are currently implementing in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation in Uganda we've had the privilege of working with a lot of young people across the country. We are here to empower the youth for them to discover that a career can take the shape of employment or entrepreneurship. And we are all here for that.”
Audrey noted that the project targets over 1,000 female students at IUIU Kabojja, Africa’s only female campus for higher education in the region, focusing on bridging the gap between academic learning and workplace readiness:
“Key from BrighterMonday is we support the youth in terms of them acquiring soft skills training and entrepreneurship training, which forms a 360 around backing up the technical skills that they have acquired. We are also very keen in the program about people living with disabilities and internally displaced people that we will be supporting throughout.”
The career clinic featured interactive booths offering CV and cover letter development, mock interviews, and career networking opportunities, enabling students to engage directly with potential employers.
Frank Katusime, CEO of Business Initiatives International Limited, urged students to adopt a holistic approach to education, combining knowledge, integrity, and practical skills:
“Education is more impactful if you make it holistic, and holistic education means you are looking at the head, you are looking at the heart, and you are looking at the hands. Integrity is very important in this country and everywhere it is an international currency. The moment you know the focus, you want to be this, then you move, take the steps to get there.”
Audrey further emphasized the importance of preparing students for diverse career paths:
“Today we are privileged to be at the university, the Kabojja campus, a female campus. Some of the booths are supporting the youth in developing their CVs, their cover letters, having mock interviews and a career networking session where we empower them, support them into the paths that they would like to go.”
The career clinic is part of a broader GenKazi initiative that aims to equip young women across Uganda with the necessary skills for employment and entrepreneurship, bridging the gap between education and the labor market while fostering inclusive opportunities for marginalized groups.
By the end of the clinic, students left better prepared to navigate the workforce, armed with the tools, networks, and confidence needed to pursue meaningful careers.