By ADAM IHUCHA -- The profile of Tanzania’s based Habari Maalum College has raised a rung higher, thanks to the study that shows it produces over 90 percent graduates fit for the job market across Africa.

In real terms, a 92 percent of Ngaramtoni based Habari Maalum College (HMC) alumni in media and leadership have been employed in various organizations across Africa, a new study indicates.

“This implies that over 90 percent of HMC graduates both in media and leadership are well prepared for the job market across the Africa” says IBRA Media Regional Director for East, Central and Southern Africa, Jan-Erik Nyman.

Speaking at the climax of HMC day held over the weekend, Mr Nyman said that their survey also revealed that 64 percent of the employed college graduates were in some sort of leadership positions.

This comes amid a backdrop of foul cry from employers that half of the university graduates in East Africa are ill-prepared for the job market.

Another study conducted by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and the East African Business Council (EABC) to establish employers’ perceptions of graduates shows that more than 50 per cent of university graduates are half-baked as they lack basic workplace proficiencies.

This means university students are graduating without attaining basic and technical skills required in the job market, denying the five East African Community (EAC) economies the quality human capital that they need to grow.

“Universities in the East African region are producing a theoretical, unskilled and unpractical labour force,” Prof. Mayunga Nkunya, executive secretary of IUCEA, told an EAC higher education quality assurance forum in Arusha recently.

“Employers told us that graduates lack self-confidence at work, they can’t translate the knowledge they got in universities into work and they normally wait to be told what to do” Prof. Nkunya said.

Uganda is the worst among the peers, with only 37 per cent of its graduates fit for the job market, whereas Tanzania has only 39 per cent of its degree holders rated as competent.

Comparatively, 45 per cent and 48 per cent of graduates in Burundi and Rwanda, respectively, are competent for the job market. Kenya has the best-rated graduates, with 49 per cent found up to the task.

As things stand, HMC gives a glimpse of hope as its graduates flying Tanzania’s flag high as it currently receives students from 13 African countries, seeking media and leadership training at the college.

Issac Chiwanga, one of HMC graduates-cum-a video production tutor at the college said that intensive practical training was the secret behind the college’s success story for producing competent graduates.

Chiwanga adds; “Graduates from most colleges don’t meet standards because teachers base on
theory alone. A student pursuing a broadcasting course, for instance, graduates without seeing a television studio”.

For James Leonard – leadership and management tutor at HMC says that they have learnt designing course content and session planning.

“We’ve been equipped with skills which ensure a teacher understands lessons we teach, as practical examples are applied” he notes.

Addressing the media owners, guests and students who attended the HMC day, the college Principal, Jackson Kaluzi said that the institution was introduced to train skillful men and women who could transform the community.

“Idea behind the HMC is to prepare a new generation of people in Africa who can bring about significant social and economic revolution” Mr Kaluzi explained.

According to him, society tends to believe whatever aired on air through media, meaning that if there were right people behind the microphone, chances are high that the community would change for the better.

Mr Kaluzi further said that it was the HMC desire to change the trend in media and leadership where local trained people could compete with the rest of the world in the job markets.

Habari Maalum College at the Ekenywa village in Ngaramtoni area, lying 1km east of the main Arusha-Namanga road, offers certificate and diplomas in media as well as leadership and management studies.

With a humble beginning way back in 1999, where only eight students enrolled, HMC now is slowly, but surely growing as it is currently enrolling nearly 100 students for both faculties.