The 2023 Annual Career Expo organized by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is expected to benefit over 5,000 students in seven universities countrywide, with a focus on empowering them with skills to successfully navigate the emerging gig economy.

The two-week expo that was launched at Makerere University Business School on 17th April will run until 28th April 2023 across 7 universities in the country. It is being held in partnership with Absa Bank Uganda.

According to a recent study by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), at least 41 percent of youth aged between 18 and 30 years are not employed. The 2023 Annual NSSF Career Expo under the theme, “Succeeding in the Gig Economy” explains NSSF’s desire to help students know how they can navigate their way into the workforce through the “Gig economy”.

Patrick Ayota, the acting NSSF Managing Director advised the youth to be open to short-term engagements/gigs as they seek formal employment.

Ayota encouraged the students, especially graduates, to consider working as volunteers because it can come in handy, eventually.

He noted that during the Expo, students will learn how to unlock their skills which will enable them to flourish in the gig market, balance gig work with a permanent job, turn gig work into a flourishing business, financial literacy among others.

Several participants who have attended the expo credited NSSF for the initiative. Prosper Lwamasaka, a student of Makerere University asked the organizers to consider taking the expo to secondary school students as well.

This year's Expo is organized in partnership with Absa Bank and, Brighter Monday, an online jobs platform that will be offering free lessons in writing impactful CVs & improvement services for one month to participating students.

Absa is funding the expo to the tune of shs30m and also helping participating students to develop their employment or self-employment prospects by accessing online career guidance, skills-related short courses, and job search tools, among other resources, through the Bank’s Ready to Work Initiative. For 12 years now, the NSSF Annual Career Expo equipped hundreds of university students with skills and knowledge to increase their employment and entrepreneurship opportunities afterlife on campus.

NSSF has reached 155,000 students across various universities countrywide in the 12 years.

Mary Prima Awor