HTU holds career fair

The Ho Technical University (HTU) on Wednesday, August 6, 2024, held its first-ever career fair on campus.

About 40 corporate bodies, including banks, insurance groups, and public institutions, participated in the event, which was held under the theme: "Discover Your Dream Job and Build a Career for Life."

Construction and recruitment firms also set up stands at the fair.

The attractions included meetings with prospective employers, on-the-spot job offers, opportunities for national service, and on-the-spot internship placements.

HTU's Acting Director of Career Placement and Counselling, Edem K. Honu, stated that the fair's primary target was final-year students.

“We now have about 2,000 final-year students, and we are preparing them for life after leaving campus,” he said.

Mr. Honu noted that the job market is now highly competitive, and HTU is responding swiftly by equipping final-year students with the necessary soft skills and competencies required for careers in the contemporary job market.

He said the career fair was intended to provide a platform for students to enhance their professional development and explore career opportunities by connecting with potential employers.

“We expect at least 50 percent of the students to build valuable professional networks that can aid their career growth, and prepare at least 50 percent of them for the job market through exposure to real-world expectations and feedback from employers,” he added.

Mr. Honu, who is also a Deputy Registrar at the university, said HTU is focused on helping students gain confidence in their job search abilities and professional communication skills.

Earlier in a presentation, the Recruitment Lead of Jobberman Ghana, Hannah Etornam Wordy, said employers are not just looking for job seekers but for individuals with employable skills and the appropriate competencies for the job.

She emphasized that job seekers must readily prove their competencies during job interviews, presenting suitable curricula vitae and professional communication skills.

The Volta Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one of the exhibitors at the fair, Hope Smith Lomotey, highlighted that the agency's functions require competent individuals to avoid mediocrity.

He stressed the importance of making these functions known to students of tertiary institutions at career fairs and other platforms.

Mr. Lomotey described the career fair as a step in the right direction, as it brought employers and prospective employees together on common ground.