Executive Director, EGO Foundation, Toluwase Olaniyan has stressed the need for undergraduates and graduates to position themselves digitally for opportunities in the labour market.

Olaniyan said this while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday at the ‘Project Workskills’ organized at the University of Lagos.

The event is a project under the EGO Foundation to equip undergraduates and recent graduates with workplace readiness skills and digital skills.

“One thing they need to do is position themselves for opportunities, as they are available for them to learn. Help themselves by growing the community around themselves in a way there are ready for opportunities at any point in time.

On what schools could do to bridge the gap between undergraduates and their chances of employability at the workforce, Olaniyan said schools should set up career centers to help students get professional career services before graduation.

He said, “Schools should set up systems like career centers, sort of help students get professional career services before they get into the open market, I also think schools should endeavour to bring in industry eperts, business leaders to come into schools and begin to infuse the labour market into the academic system.

Olaniyan also noted a few of the skills student need to ready themselves with as “Critical thinking, communication, problem solving, negotiation, interpersonal relationship”.

In her remarks, Catherine Ibrahim, a Human Capital professional spoke on the need for students to embrace mentorship and internship as they prepare to get into the workforce.

Ibrahim called for caution for entry-level positions, stating that at that level, the focus should not be on financial remuneration but on gaining exposure and experience on the job as well as building relationships.

“The importance of mentorship cannot be overemphasized. The knowledge they gain in school is simply not enough and largely not practical, and so you get this practical experience through internship opportunities by working with these organizations and gaining the skillset that is actually required in the workforce which you might not be opposed to while in school.

“Mentors are there to guide you, research on people that have been able to achieve what you want to achieve, or want to surpass, those mentors guide you, so you don’t learn from your own experience, but the experience of others, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes they made and they are ready to guide you so you can do better than them.

On priority for entry-level positions, she said, “Focus more on gaining experience, focus more on learning, on being adaptable, I am still taking courses, I am still venturing into new waters. Because you need to remain relevant. You need to keep growing yourself to get to the top. At entry level, what you earn should not be the prirority, but what you can learn and who and what you are exposed to.”