Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon.
The Southwest Regional branch of the National Employment Fund, NEF, is now effectively, operating an information pool in the campus of the University of Buea, UB. Friday, June 21 2013, NEF’s Limbe Branch Manager, Vera Njembelle and UB’s Vice Chancellor, VC, Dr. Nalova Lyonga, jointly launched the Professional Orientation in Public Environment, POPE stand.
Described as one of NEF’s major programmes, the POPE has as objective to disseminate useful information for job seekers in order to increase their opportunities of insertion in the job market.
NEF's Vera Njembelle reads her speech at the inauguration ceremony of POPE Billboard in UB
NEF Intermediation Officer, Comfort Kamara explains what the POPE Billboard is all about
NEF, UB officials & student leaders stand in front of billboard
The content include; how to look for a salaried employment, explanations on important aspects like – knowing yourself; why and how, knowledge of the job market, writing a CV, what is a CV, what is its content, writing one’s motivation letter, what a motivation letter is, the content, making it at the interview, how does it look like, how to successfully comport oneself during an interview, about self employment and creating your own enterprise.
UB students sourcing information from the POPE Billboard on campus
According to NEF’s Njembelle, her institution is ready to give ample information on the different stages for one to go through in order to become a successful business operator. “This is open to everybody, make it profitable by coming to consult the POPE, talk to others about it and our staff are set with more information, your questions and answers for them,” she said.
She explained that this is the time to prepare students, who are prospective job seekers for the market, noting that the aforementioned tools will help them to be competitive in the job market. “UB is the perfect place to do it. They have a large population of people who will be joining the job market in the short term. We need to prepare them for that,” Njembelle added.
The NEF official expressed worry that not many job seekers are coming to their office, saying they have a lot to offer and it cannot be possible if people do not approach them.
UB VC noted with delight NEF’s presence on the campus, while encouraging her students to visit the POPE billboard, constructed just after the second gate in the campus. “Our students should read that board religiously and be aware of what is happening. After that they should go back to NEF and ask questions. This is a privilege for UB, we will love to hear from NEF regularly, hold a series of conferences with our students, especially those in the final year,” Nalova requested.
She saw in the gesture the entrepreneurial skills that UB has opted for, saying it is going to reinforce the awareness one needs after being a student and stepping out to the world of work. “This is a good partnership that we look forward to inset into the UB calendar so that our students have it in perspective and it is not haphazard. UB is a stepping stone for the outside world. So, the thoughts for that should begin now,” she advised.
After the implanting the POPE in UB, the NEF information caravan moves to Mamfe, Manyu Division to talk with the population out there and to subsequently begin negotiations with some higher institutions in the private sector.
A structure created by the government of Cameroon, the National Employment Fund is out to promote employment across the country, with a mission to disseminate useful information on the job market, sponsor trainings in various skills, gives financial support for the kick-start of micro-enterprises, self employment structures and inserting the unemployed in the job market.
