To overcome job market challenges: HIPE University graduates advised to uphold digitalisation.

The graduands as proclaimed by the Officer in charge of Pedagogy, had been found worthy in character and in learning, to be awarded Higher National Diploma, HND, Bachelors and Masters degree certifications. 

Constituting the 5th and 6th batches the school was sending out to the job market, the new graduates were christened: “The batch of Digitalisation”. 

The appellation, management of the university said, depicts the trend in changes the world of academics witnessed due to COVID-19 pandemic. 

The lockdown during the peak of COVID-19, they said, brought about major changes as schools were compelled to embrace distance learning, thereby creating more engaging and/or flexible experiences for students. 

Besides the global health pandemic, the university management noted that digitalisation has now become a pacesetter in economic transformation with emerging technologies.

With this, they said students leaving HIPE and venturing into the job market must move along with the trends in digitalisation, in order to fit into and make a difference in an already saturated job market.

Graduates ready for job market 

Notwithstanding the challenges ahead, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, and President of the institution, Nde Sarakang Christopher, said the graduates from HIPE University are fully equipped and ready for the job market.

"HIPE is gradually gaining grounds in training future leaders. We, the founders, had to harness our years in creating the school. The import substitution strategy has been imbibed in the HIPE curriculum and training policies. The training is beyond degree, merging academics and hands-on-training with partner companies. HIPE is a legacy, not a business with the aim of impacting the community through quality education," he said. 

Nde Sarakang added that new government reforms on higher education have not adversely impacted trainings since HIPE, from creation 10 years ago, has been an entrepreneurial university, having partnership with best of its kind across the globe. The system used, he added, has a spillover effect on the success of the students.

"We are graduating these two batches in a special environment, where higher education orientation has changed. So, private university needs to be more professional and entrepreneurial. This is what HIPE has been doing over the years,” Nde Sarakang said. 

“Now, we are just going to ensure that students going out of HIPE are all ready to create their own businesses or work in companies, because they studied in a mix system, where they work and study at the same time. We are happy that all what the government is doing is coming in support of what we started doing years back," he told reporters.

Graduates urged to venture into corporate world

The keynote speaker at the event, Mambo Matilda, noted that graduating from a higher institution is not always easy but the Batch of Digitalisation has made it. 

Mambo, who is Human Resource Manager at Orange Cameroun, said beyond their academic records, the graduates should be brave enough to venture into the corporate world, by adapting to unlearn and learning. 

"Mastering skills, technological knowledge and attitude are what will keep you competitive in the job market today. As you move onward, you need to easily embrace resilience and adaptability in a swamp of graduates. Because the employer wants to know what difference you make in the job market, you should be able to add value in different ways," Mambo told the graduates. 

She also called on them to use internet wisely, instead of watching movies. 

"Companies have gone digital, newcomers should hence stay up-to-date," she advised.

Students assured of continuity in biomedical trainings

On his part, the Executive Secretary of the National Association of Private Higher Educators, known in its French acronym as, ANIPES, Djankou Nkuissi Gabriel, brought a message of assurance to the students and would-be students. His intervention came to erode the confusion about the authorisation for private institutions to train biomedical students. 

Speaking specifically about HIPE, Djankou said as a member of the association, the school is amongst the most active members. He added that institutions are still allowed to train in biomedical fields, but for second or third level students only. 

However, he said while running the programms, it will be under the tutelage of the Ministry of Public Health and not that of Higher Education. 

With major State reforms, Djankou said promoters are now obliged by law to create curriculum, not just for academics, but also for the training of entrepreneurs. He was pleased that HIPE has designed programmes to meet the changes brought about by government educational reforms.

The words of the academic went down well for Bell Clotilde Landry, who was best graduating student. She testified that throughout her time at HIPE, her teachers did due diligence to prepare her as well as her mates, not just to be job seekers but job creators. 

It should be noted that HIPE has employed over 100 of its former students as part of its professional insertion programme.

HIPE University in a nutshell 

According to the Director of HIPE, Oliver Mobit, the university trains young Cameroonians in the engineering, biomedical and business fields.

With the slogan, “The Career Builders,” HIPE impacts the lives of every student who graduates by giving them hard skills that can permit them fully integrate into the world after the classroom. This, he said, is done through orientations, tips on CV building, among others. 

The school, Mobit said, has setup an incubator to stimulate creativity and capacity to succeed. 

“If you look at the way things are going, people can work from homes, embracing trends with HIPE international, with partners from Germany, Luxemburg and the USA. HIPE trains in Bachelors and Masters certification programs. The domains of training include Nursing Sciences, Accountability, Broiler and Welding, Building Science and Technology, Medical Laboratory, Human Resources Management, Logistic and Transport, Software Engineering, Food Processing, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Power Systems, Marketing, Trade and Sales amongst others,” he added.

HIPE University takes pride in its role as transformer of minds. The university, in this mission, has signed partnerships with the universities of Buea and Bamenda. Its international partners include European Business Institute in Luxemburg, the International University of Applied Science, based in Germany and Kansia University in USA.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3274 of Tuesday October 29, 2024