BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE– Botho University is deliberately moving beyond the traditional approach of preparing graduates to compete for jobs, instead equipping them with entrepreneurial skills to create employment opportunities for themselves and others.
Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Mlungisi Patrick Msibi said the university’s programmes are designed to produce graduates who can identify opportunities, solve problems and create their own livelihoods in an increasingly competitive job market.
“We don’t train students to go out and look for employment, but we train students to employ themselves,” said Msibi.
He said entrepreneurship is embedded across the university’s programmes as part of its commitment to producing graduates who are relevant to the needs of the market and capable of contributing meaningfully to the economy.
Msibi was speaking about their presence at the Trade Fair, where Botho University is showcasing its programmes to prospective students, industry players and members of the public.
He said the institution’s participation provides an opportunity to showcase its programmes while engaging with prospective students, industry and the wider public.
Msibi said Botho focuses on teaching, learning and innovation, with a strong emphasis on developing graduates whose skills respond to the needs of the market.
The university offers programmes through faculties including Business and Accounting, Engineering and Technology, and Health and Education.
He said the institution offers unique programmes aimed at addressing the needs of Eswatini, while ensuring that students receive training that can be translated into practical opportunities.
“We have entrepreneurial aspects embedded in these programmes,” he said.
According to Msibi, this approach is intended to shift students’ mindset from simply becoming job seekers to becoming potential job creators.
Msibi said Botho’s programmes in Eswatini are fully accredited by the Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC), noting that the university was the first institution to receive full accreditation from the council.
He said the university also follows processes governed by quality management standards, with its campus being ISO-certified.
Established in Botswana in 1997, Botho University has since expanded to Lesotho and Eswatini and is now approaching 30 years of existence.
Msibi said the university has grown to a student population of approximately 9 000.
Beyond academic qualifications, he said Botho works towards developing graduates with 12 essential attributes through its graduate profile.
These include being articulate, independent, professional, digitally driven and possessing an entrepreneurial mindset.
Msibi said these attributes are intended to ensure that graduates leave the institution with more than academic knowledge, but with the skills and mindset required to navigate the world of work and create opportunities.
With its entrepreneurial focus, Botho University says it wants its graduates to leave campus not only asking where they can find a job, but also what opportunity they can create.
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(Courtesy Pic)
