Entrepreneurship Development

Career Services and Entrepreneurship Development Directorate (CSEDD)

Vision, mission, core values, services offered and Organizational structure of our directorate

Introduction

The life of a student is an important and dynamic component of tertiary education experience. This is because it provides the students with an opportunity to develop not only academically, but also socially. It is important to note that universities have a responsibility as part of the holistic education of their graduates to prepare students for eventual entry into the work force or entrepreneurship.

 Career Service and Entrepreneurship Development Directorate (CSEDD) under its current structure, is an institution established in 2013 E.C and it is accountable to the president of Aksum University. The directorate is responsible to provide comprehensive resources and services that are complementary to and integrated with, the academic provision of the University, enabling students and graduates to develop, evaluate, and implement career decisions and employment plans.

1.1 About Career Service Development

Career services in higher education have evolved since its inception and adapted to various models following economic conditions, trends, and demands of the labor market, and needs of the university and society. At the end of the 20th and early 21st century, the information technology and social media revolution transformed career Directorates into dynamic networking hubs that engaged hiring organizations in campus recruiting and facilitated networking between students and recruiters. Career Development Directorate is a relatively new term for most educational institutions, governmental, and NGOs in Ethiopia. For instance, in higher education institutions, it starts with a shallow depth in first-generation universities by 2017. However, there could be a need for students to acquire focused and specialized services to develop their career awareness.

Higher Education Institution bare the same responsibility as parents when it comes to recent graduates.  The university’s management and the whole community role should go beyond ensuring students finish their studies and leave university campuses. Like any parent, it is also up to concern of the university to ensure graduates are set on the right path and can access the job market competently.

1.   Vision, Mission and Objectives

 Vision

Empowering undergraduate students and alumni by providing comprehensive career and entrepreneurial development services to become thenumber one preferred University amongthe applied science universities of Ethiopia by 2030.

Mission

Career Service and Entrepreneurship Development Directorate (CSEDD here after) at Aksum University is committed to assist students in making connections between their academics experience & Career Path. Provide counseling and trainings to boost their soft skills; industry & alumni connections to optimize internships & job opportunities.

Objectives

CSEDD at AKU assists undergraduate students and alumni with all aspects of career planning, including choosing a career, exploring career-related interests, developing relevant soft skills and job search strategies for employment, applying to graduate school as well as enhancing their entrepreneurial orientations. Generally speaking, CSEDD will help to produce first degree graduates with high employability or entrepreneur skills which directly contribute to the youth unemployment problem in Ethiopia. Specifically, the Directorate aims to:

  • The Directorate is committed to helping prepare undergraduate students to make a smooth transition from studying students to working employees or entrepreneurs.
  • The Directorate will provide professional development counseling and advice that will enable students to have a competitive edge in the job market.
  • Provide opportunities for students who want to develop their creativity, innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurial interests and start-up businesses.
  • Help undergraduate students prepare to enter the professional workforce and teach them to be leaders by providing both personal development and career development trainings and workshops.
  • Provide students with free resources and prepare them for experiential learning (Internships & Jobs).
  • Create networking, information sharing and communication Directorate (contact point) where employers & key stakeholders can find information (background check) about prospective graduates.
  • Create consistent ties to different organizations and employers and maintain relationships with them who then participate in the university’s job fairs/expos.
  • Develop and provide variety of events (job fairs, expos, information booth, information sessions, and on campus interview program) to connect students and employers.
  • Provide soft skill trainings, career guidance and counseling 

2.    Core Values

  • Quality
  • Integrity
  • Fairness
  • Inclusivity
  • Leadership
  • Innovativeness
  • Collaboration
  • Transparency
  • Accountability
  • Student center
  • Empowerment
  • Industriousness

3.   Services to be offered by CSEDD of AKU

For CSED services to be successful, apt and of added value to the students, it will have to be founded and consistently set on principles and values that take into consideration expressed needs and choices of the students and the university at large. To achieve this, the Directorate looks to cater to several stakeholders in the university. In addition, the Directorate will have to adhere to the values and dreams of each college/institute keeping in mind its mission and vision. Thus, to achieve its mandate, CSEDD will be committed to provide the following services.

3.1 Soft skill Trainings

Career development training is designed to give professionals the opportunity to evaluate and plan their employment futures, as well as expand their job-related skills and knowledge for all students. Programs and resources are provided to assist students and alumni in specifying career goals, expanding knowledge of career alternatives, understanding effective decision making, and acquiring appropriate strategies and skills to carry out the process.Topics covered in a career development training program might include:

  • Life skill
  • Negotiation
  • Communication
  • Employability skill
  • Time Management
  • Personal Development
  • Online job navigation/searching
  • Entrepreneurship related training
  • Career Guidance and Counseling
  • Resume and cover letter
  • Orientation Training
  •  Leadership Training
  • How to save money
  • Technical Training
  • Mind-set
  • others


3.2 Career Counseling

The CSED at AKU is designed to grow into Directorate of excellence and leadership that will be fully owned by AKU for providing consistent support and guidance to students as they face challenges of entering professional workforce. The Directorate will prepare the ground for more systemized career guidance to students and will culminate in a career week, job fair and career expo which will be organized once or twice a year.

 The first component of CSED will be Career Counseling established at the university. The counseling service will be provided by individuals selected from campus and college/institute coordinators and be equipped with computers and internet to provide career guidance and advice on a one-to-one basis at the college/institute. The purpose of the Career counseling is to present a forum where students can receive counseling about finding a job that matches their interests and qualifications, on writing CVs and interview tips. The career counselors will be available to review CVs and provide practical guidelines.

The counselors in the Directorate and college/institute coordinators are trained professionals who can provide career guidance, organize and facilitate different trainings and events to help the students have career development skills. They will have all the necessary information to become effective counselors and coordinators.

3.3 Career Week

The career week is to be organized once in a year to welcome students and familiarize them with the Career service, career development and what it means to be in different departments. The career week will include Alumni’s, showcasing different companies, and different types of workshops, internship/voluntary opportunities and field trips for students.  Organizing career week will not only inspire and motivate students but will also support them to identify the career they want to peruse on and prepare them for the job market.

3.4 Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops will be conducted to address employment and career issues throughout the year. The seminars will focus on students where speakers representing various organizations will be invited to talk directly to graduating students about employment opportunities and how to prepare for them. Selected HR managers from reputable organizations will also be invited to address graduating students. Motivational speakers on how to succeed in the world of work shall also be invited to address the students. Several “How to” workshops shall be organized for example, how to write CV, how to be ready and respond to interview, how to succeed in the first 90 days of employment and how to find internship/externship opportunities.

The seminar will consist a discussion and guidance on how to support students on their career development journey, how to motivate them to think beyond the horizon and to help them unleash their potential and develop their job hunting and leadership skills.

3.5 Job Fair and Career Expo

Job Fair and Career Expo are beneficial in order to enable employers to meet the potential employees. These events are also important for students as they provide students with a chance to learn about career related issues like choosing a career, networking skills and opportunities for securing internships or even jobs.

The Job Fair/Career Expo will be held once a year preferably before graduation. This will have different seminars and workshops to prepare students for finding jobs and internship’s opportunities.

The job fair is a unique environment in which both students and recruiting organizations have the chance to meet face to face and interact on career opportunities. Organizations will also be invited to showcase their activities and potential employees have the chance to interact with them which allows both the recruiter and students to pre-screen each other.

Job fairs also offer a cost effective and convenient way to contact a large number of students in a relatively short time. Organizations from private, government and non-government sectors will be invited to attend the job fair free-of-charges. University Industry Linkage (UIL) Directorate shall facilitate the invitation of participating organizations. Organizations who request to address students at the seminar will be accommodated even encouraged to do so. Students will be given an ample training through the career clinic to succeed at the job fair. These include but not limited to guide to participation at the job fair, how to impress recruiter, and list of participating organizations with their profile and type of job or internship available. The Web Technology & Media Expert of since instructors play a great role on achieving the Directorate’s objective, they need to be well addressed about its importance and why students need to use it regularly.

3.6 Field Visit

The Directorate shall organize field trips to selected organizations to help students understand how organizations work by visiting their facilities, meeting with managers and recently hired students. The trip to factories or facilities will help students increase their exposure on how organizations operate. If possible, participating employers will be asked to sponsor the field trip by providing bus tour and luncheon reception.

3.7 Virtual Career Services

The CSEDD at Aksum University through its website will avail online information that can be accessed by employers and students. Employers can post vacancies and their profiles and search for students based on their needs. Students can build their CVs and apply for jobs online. The website will also avail career information and guidance to users free of charge. The virtual career Directorate will be accessible to graduating students from all colleges and institutes of the university and its access will not be limited to those students participating in the career expo. This is to say that students who miss the physical career expo will be able to participate online. Furthermore, all company information and jobs will be posted online.

3.8 Resource Center

The CSEDD will have a Resource Center that will be accessible to students free of charges. It will have a library with books on career guides, company profiles, sample of CVs, cover letters, interview questions, etc. The resource’s Directorate will be equipped with computers, printers and access to the internet. All computers will be equipped with adaptive technologies in order to make them accessible to visually-impaired students. Moreover, a Braille print out of job information will be available to visually-impaired students. The design of the CSED shall be accessible for students with disabilities. The purpose of this Directorate is to give services for students through different media.  

3.9 An Entrepreneur Incubator Services

The entrepreneur incubator program will look to offer students who are willing to be entrepreneurs’ laser-focused support to develop their ideas. Therefore, the incubator will be looking to mentor student innovators and provide access to information and in some cases seed money that would allow them realize their dreams of establishing their own businesses.

The program will also provide seminars that are related to entrepreneurship. In this regard, students are expected to be innovative and take part in venture capital fairs to provide them with an opportunity to pitch their business ideas/projects to potential investors who can finance or offer mentorship towards the success of the projects.

3.10 Gender Mainstreaming and Disability Access

The Directorate shall take a conscious effort to assist female students to overcome challenges of finding a job. It is common understanding that female students often receive fewer paying jobs and promotion than their equivalent counter male students. So, the Directorate will organize workshops and trainings to help female students know how to negotiate for better pay and jobs, how to build their confidence to present their qualification and how to avoid and deal with potential sexual harassment during interviews.

The Directorate shall provide technical assistant to students with disabilities in collaboration with AKU Gender & HIV Directorate & Ethiopian Directorate for Disability Development. These include creating awareness about diversity and hiring student with disabilities to organizations, availing sign language interpreter for deaf students to attend workshop and trainings as well as accompanying translator during interviews and provide Braille print out to visually-impaired students.

3.11 Establishing Alumni Network & Student Ambassadors

Alumni are among the best candidates for institutions’ leadership, philanthropy, and goodwill ambassadors and they are increasingly becoming mentors to current and prospective students. For these reasons, institutions of higher learning cannot afford to lose touch with their graduates. Alumni represent the past, but they provide the foundation of an institutions future. Too often, because the return on an institutions’ investment in alumni takes time, schools are less apt to make effective alumni relations a top priority. It is therefore paramount that each university and tertiary institution makes it a priority to establish a network of all their graduates and keep in constant contact.

 Student ambassadors are very vital in most institutions of higher learning. They address the needs of all students. Their participation provides an invaluable link to the student body and representatives for the office AKU alumni as well as selected academic departments. They also establish meaningful supportive relationship with student’s faculty and staff. Student ambassadors create a sense of belonging and develop a sense of connection.

5.    Man power

Even though currently there are only seven staff in the directorate, but to be fruitful, the structure needs around twenty staff including focal person of every college/campus.