By SYCORAX TIYESA NDHLOVU –
THE demand for relevant experience and skills on the labour market creates challenges for many citizens; thereby creating an army of unemployed citizens; especially the youths. But what type of experience and skills do most employers want? And how can one gain such experience?
One foreign investor mid this year said Zambia lacks relevant skills in most sectors. Some Chinese contractors have justified importing carpenters, electricians, bricklayers and other technicians into this country because they argue that most Zambian technicians don’t know how to apply their trade qualifications into practical work.
Recently, Times Printpak Zambia Limited, the publisher of the daily Times of Zambia and week Sunday Times of Zambia, acting Managing Director, Chishimba Chishimba said student journalists should familiarise themselves with what is happening in the media industry so that they don’t face challenges in the industry when they graduate.
So to help the students, the Times of Zambia has started interacting with media students through it’s various new products like the e-times, which is the electronic version of the newspaper, so that students can acquire some experience way before doing industrial attachments.
However, all such observations imply that most Zambians; especially youths and graduates do not have relevant experience and skills which can help them to be employed; and propel themselves to greater career heights.
Worse still, the increase in technology in a country where most schools do not have relevant new technology facilities, make it more difficult for most school leavers and graduates to gain relevant experience and skills.
But what is also interesting to note is that the issue of relevant experience and skills has been there for years in memorial. However, few job seekers and few employers seem to take such a qualification seriously.
One of the reasons for not taking such a job requirement seriously is that it is perceived to be too difficult to acquire such experience and skill in a country with low industrial base. Organisations where one can work on internship or as a volunteer are perceived to be too scarce to find.
Such a situation makes even those with relevant experience and skills in specific fields not to be employed in any organisation.
Contrary to the demand for relevant experience and skills in specific fields, some people without such experience and skills are employed in good jobs both in public and private organisations. So who needs relevant experience and skills?
Of course very few genuine employers with a purpose need workers with relevant experience and skills; and employ such workers.
However, the issue does not seem to be that Zambia has no people with relevant experience and skills. The issue is that Zambia has not developed enough industrial base and many employers to accommodate all school leavers and graduates from colleges and universities to acquire relevant experience and skills.
Additionally, the same school leavers and graduates don’t appear to see many other experienced technicians and or small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) where they can easily gain such experience and skills.
As a result, most school leavers and graduates don’t balance paper qualification with relevant experience and skills before they complain of scarcity of jobs.
It has been stated before that the demand for paper qualification has made most Zambians to rush for such qualifications; disregarding the fact that genuine employers with specific purposes for their existence will not only demand for paper qualifications but will also ask for experience and skills.
But because most employers; especially the government which pioneered, prioritised and catalyzed the demand for paper qualifications in the 1990s, are more interested in such qualifications, most citizens rush for such paper qualifications in various colleges and universities to be promoted in senior positions.
When such graduates came back to respective industries, most employers say they need relevant experience and skills to support such higher paper qualifications.
This implies that most graduates leave experience and skills behind as they rush for higher paper qualifications.
Therefore, it is not surprising nowadays in some communities and some organisations to see those with some experience; but with low paper qualifications working while those with higher paper qualifications; but with no experience loitering and yawning in the streets.
But many opportunities exist for job seekers to gain relevant experience and skills.
Within the low industrial base with perceived few employers; but with many rich natural resources coupled with a population of about 13 million people, many activities in various human endeavours are done. Similarly, with such a population and economic activities; many goods and services are demanded, produced and supplied.
In such a situation, it is critical to be steady. Analyse what career related fields are on high demand? Check where there seems to have high job opportunities’ trends on the job market.
For instance, construction industry seem to have many activities. So, what careers and skills are associated with construction works?
Careers, experience and skills in fields such as building science, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, auto-mechanics, electrical, tailoring and designing, etc can be on high demand on the labour market where construction sector is booming.
In such a trend, one does not only need to have good papers in such fields but one should also have relevant experience and skills in the same fields. Therefore, not having relevant experience and skills in such fields might disadvantage you on the labour market.
To spring out of such a negative situation, one is supposed to re-define employers. According to Encarta Dictionaries, an employer is a person or group of persons who engages workers. The same Dictionaries also define an employer as a user.
When one extends the meaning of user, one might find that there are actually many employers at various levels in this country who can employ most people.
What has killed many Zambians; especially the youths in job hunting is being proud of oneself. No one wants to humble himself or herself to get a low job from an experienced technician in any field, from an Small media Entrepreneur or from a family business in order to gain some experience and skills after leaving school or before or after graduating from a college or university.
Most graduates feel that soon after graduating, one should be employed in a powerful firm with good conditions of service; and with a well paying monthly salary with a personal-to-holder car.
These are good wishes. But they don’t come over night. One needs to gain relevant experience and acquire relevant skills before landing in such a job.
Therefore, before or after graduating from a college or university, spend some more good time to invest in relevant experience and skills employers now want.
First do things that can create a sound foundation for you to take off; and fly above the competitors in your career forever. At whatever level one reaches, ensure that you are on a solid ground to take off further.
This can be achieved if you move with relevant experience and skills at all times.
Industrial arts such as technical drawing, woodwork and metal work are critical in modern careers’ experience and skills development related processes. Similarly, at school, those doing art, home economics, needle work, agricultural science, principles of accounts, etc also have an advantage of developing such subject into a career as they would just continue the relevant experience and skills they were learning at school into a profitable career.
Junior engineers and technicians sciences (JETS) activities and projects also help a lot in generating experience and skills employers want in future.
This is where curriculum review and development in schools, colleges and universities become critical in job creation, entrepreneurship development and poverty alleviation strategies in any country.
Priorities gaining relevant experience before you gain higher academic and professional qualifications. For example, build some of your school subjects into relevant experience and skills; and then into a profitable career.
Such can be developed through doing small works with some individuals and or with some small organisations. Acquire relevant skills as you gain some experience.
When you know that you are able to work in that field confidently because of your acquired experience and skills, go for further training in that field. When you graduate, you will have relevant experience and skills most big employers want.
In fact, studying at higher level is easier with relevant experience and skills. With relevant experience and skills in the field you are studying, you are likely to pass with flying colours. This will further give you high impetus to convince more employers on your suitability for any job related to your field of experience and study.

Therefore, while there are many colleges and universities offering higher formal education, there are also many individuals, small and medium organisations which one can use to gain relevant experience and skills before or even after acquiring higher academic and professional training.
Working with experienced bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, tailors, mechanics, plumbers, etc can help you acquire the relevant experience and gain skills employers at any level want.
With such experience and skills, you can also become an entrepreneur; and running your own business in your respective field
The secret is to humble oneself; and progress both in experience, skills and further training steadily in that order.
The author is a trainer and career coach. Contact: Cell: 0976/0977 450151