Botswana: The Ministry of Finance of Botswana, in conjunction with the African Development Bank (AfDB), hosted a job fair facilitated by the University of Botswana (UB). The AfDB career fair was held on the 29th of March at the UB auditorium and geared Batswana to be globally employable.
Giving the Keynote Address, Botswana Minister of Finance Peggy Serame said the Government of Botswana will actively facilitate Batswana to explore career choices outside the country. She said the job fair came at an opportune time when the country is experiencing high unemployment statistics, with youth unemployment on the rise.
Furthermore, Minister Serame also told the tertiary community that Botswana has a globally competitive workforce and that now is the time to aim for international pastures. The job fair is the result of AfDB’s relationship with the country as a key development partner all the way from 1972.
When during the welcoming remarks, Vice Chancellor of the UB, Professor David Norris, said there is a wide pool of talent in the country that the AfDB can make use of. He said Botswana is comprised of competitive young people who are capable of working anywhere in the world.
The career fair is part of the Bank’s broader outreach to increase workforce diversity and target nationals of Botswana with a focus on early and mid-career professionals, graduate students, and those that have just completed graduate studies.
Local participants learnt about AfDB’s Young Professionals and Internship Programmes and also heard about other lucrative career opportunities to gain a better understanding of its recruitment procedures.
The President of Botswana, His Excellency Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, has been lobbying hard for Batswana to occupy more key posts in international organisations. The job fair served as one of the gateways to Botswana’s ambition to export skills.