The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey has urged graduands at the 12th graduation of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology to focus on becoming entrepreneurs in order to stay employed.
According to him, engaging in entrepreneurship is the surest way to eradicate the trend where graduates rely on the limited jobs in the country.
Speaking as a guest speaker at the event, Dr. Ashigbey said graduates must acquire entrepreneurial skills in addition to the knowledge obtained in school.
“I dare say we need to also look at how we are educating our youth and preparing them for the world of work. They should also be evaluating how they plan for the world of work. Quite recently, a government official was quoted as saying, “Government payroll is full.” All these calls for the need for graduates to acquire entrepreneurial skills and nature the environment to put them into practice. There is growing evidence globally about the immense contributions entrepreneurship has made.”
“Entrepreneurship is seen as means for accelerating job opportunities for youth employment and for poverty reduction. Apart from being self-employed, entrepreneurship also brightens a graduate’s chances of employability with already established businesses. It is important to instil the spirit of entrepreneurship even when you work for others. That is a skill that would keep you in the job and push you to the very top”.
Mr. Ashigbey further called on government to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurship to thrive.
“As a country, we should also believe in our youth and offer them opportunities. We should be ready to offer national, regional and district projects to young entrepreneurs. We need to invest in them, to allow them to fall forward and build their capacities. We should also have means of putting them together for national projects. The example of the Ghana.Gov project is a good example by Government that should be made the norm”.
President of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology, Prof. Mrs. Gavua Dzisi charged the 204 graduating students to be good ambassadors of the institution as they step into the working environment.
“Dear graduands, accept my congratulations for a battle well-fought and a crown well deserved. The skills, the drive for initiative, the creativity, and the entrepreneurial urge you developed from this Institute remain your trump card. Indeed, the education you received from this institute places you at an advantage in the competitive world out there, but an advantage remains a mere concept until it is exploited. Your teachers, parents, guardians, partners, colleagues and friends who have been part of your Data Link dream now rejoice with you. Please go out there, conquer the world and make us proud: As you leave this ceremony, remember that you have in fact become role models. Others are looking up to you. They may even want to follow in your footsteps and enrol in this institution.”
The overall best graduating student who was the valedictorian of the 12th graduation ceremony, Samuella Yaa Abraham, called on her colleagues to be goal achievers.
“Be yourself, be focused and determined to achieve your goals and stay away from distractions. You owe it to yourself and to God to be fulfilled in life. Dare to be distinct and make a difference wherever you find yourself; be the light that leads the way; a solution, not a problem and a blessing and not a curse. Never let your presence and absence cause the same effect; in other words, be productive and competent”.
