By: Reporter J
This year, a total of 5,301 students graduated from the University of Sierra Leone (USL) joining thousands of other young graduates across the country with hopes of securing meaningful employment and contributing to national development. Graduation ceremonies are moments of pride and achievement, yet for many of these graduates, the celebration is quickly replaced by uncertainty and frustration.
One of the most pressing challenges facing graduates is the limited availability of job opportunities. The formal employment sector is too small to absorb the growing number of graduates produced each year. As a result, many qualified young people remain unemployed or underemployed, taking up jobs far below their qualifications or outside their areas of specialization.
Economic challenges such as weak industrial growth, poor infrastructure, and limited private sector expansion continue to hinder job creation. In addition, issues like nepotism, lack of transparency in recruitment processes, and inadequate career support systems further disadvantage deserving graduates.
Entrepreneurship, often presented as an alternative, is also constrained by limited access to startup capital, training, and mentorship. Without deliberate government and private sector interventions, the gap between graduation and employment will continue to widen.
For the country to harness the potential of its 5,301 new graduates and others nationwide, urgent action is needed to create sustainable jobs and empower young people to drive development.
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