The Greater Accra Regional Maintenance Engineer at the Ghana Highways Authority, Mrs Engineer Ekua Enua Dake, has called on university management to involve alumni in curriculum development, teaching and career guidance to help students secure early employment after school and reduce the high unemployment rate in the country.

Engineer Ekua Dake, an alumna of Kaaf University, urged alumni members to support lecturers and university management with practical insights into the demands of the job market.

In an interview with Adom News, she said many students graduate with first-class degrees but struggle to fit into the job market due to the heavy emphasis on theory in universities.

She appealed to universities to place more focus on practical training to help students gain direct employment after school.

She made the remarks during the Kaaf University alumni homecoming.

She also encouraged female students to pursue engineering courses, noting their potential for direct employment after graduation.

The Registrar of Kaaf University, Dr Mrs Linda Anane Donkor, also appealed to alumni members to regularly engage with the university to help shape the development of continuing students.

Dr Donkor noted that, as the first private university in Ghana to venture into engineering, Kaaf University places strong emphasis on the entrepreneurial development of its graduates, as well as their integration into society after completing their courses.

As a result, she said the university focuses on building students’ confidence in their abilities and assuring them that they do not necessarily have to wait for government jobs or other employment opportunities, but can create their own jobs using the skills they acquire.

She added that this approach cuts across all courses.