High number of humanities students are left unemployed. SAIIA aims to help students with unemployment.
The number of unemployed Wits humanities graduates is high, “somewhere between 8 000 and 10 000 as of last year”, said Matebe Chisiza, a visiting research scholar at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).
This is because graduates don’t know where their degrees can take them, said Chisiza.
SAIIA and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) are holding a careers evening directed at humanities students and graduates to assist them with guidance about employment after their studies on August 17.
It aims to help students and graduates in international relations, political science developmental studies and sociology amongst other humanities degrees, gain a better understanding of the career paths open to them.
“It is an event that tries to foster a relationship between students and their future, specifically humanities students,” said Chisiza.
Matebe Chisiza is the visiting researcher at SAIIA. Photo: Juwairiyyah Jeena
“Among the graduates, the humanities students suffer the most. This is mainly because, to be quite honest, they don’t know what is available for them afterwards or specifically where they can go,” said Chisiza.
Kenneth Diole, one of the speakers who will be at the event, said that students with a degree in humanities find it difficult to find jobs in their fields because “the space is competitive and there are few opportunities for entry level”.
Diole also said that it is therefore important for students to equip themselves with other skills and experience.
Tshegofatso Mathe, an honours student in international relations, is attending the event to get more information about the opportunities that her degree has to offer. Mathe said, “I don’t think it (the event) will help you find employment. I think it will help you get connected with the right people and it is up to you if you use the opportunity to sell yourself.” There will be organisations, at the event, who will be offering scholarships and Mathe is hoping to get a scholarship overseas.
The careers evening will be held at the at the SAIIA head office from 16:30pm
RELATED ARTICLES:
Wits Vuvuzela, Ebola Interruption, August 15, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela, Careers fair offers overseas job prospects, May 19, 2017
