…VC Ogunwole says certificates no longer guarantee career success
By Chinedu Okafor
The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has invested US$17,000 in a Zoom Webinar facility to drive intensive digital skills training for students, as part of renewed efforts to enhance graduate employability and prepare them for the demands of the global workplace.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, disclosed this while addressing graduating students during the final day of the University’s maiden Career Preparation Programme organised by the Directorate of Career Services at the Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba Auditorium, Oye Campus.
Professor Ogunwole said the one-year digital platform would support regular webinars, career development programmes, mentorship sessions and other virtual engagements aimed at equipping students with practical competencies required to thrive in today’s technology-driven economy.
He explained that the investment forms part of the University’s broader strategy to reposition entrepreneurship education beyond conventional vocational ventures to digital soft skills capable of enhancing employability, innovation and global competitiveness.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that academic certificates alone no longer guarantee career success, noting that employers are increasingly interested in the value prospective employees can create through practical knowledge, digital competence and problem-solving abilities.
“Certificates do not speak in today’s world; your skills do. The world wants to know the value you can add, the problems you can solve and the services you can render smartly,” he said.
He therefore encouraged students to take advantage of every opportunity to acquire relevant digital and soft skills through seminars, workshops and professional development programmes, rather than pursuing financial rewards without first investing in knowledge.
Professor Ogunwole further disclosed that the University would progressively redesign its entrepreneurship programme to expose students to digital competencies and other emerging skills demanded by today’s global labour market.
According to him, the initiative would eventually commence from the 100 Level to ensure students develop career competencies long before graduation.
He added that FUOYE would also strengthen collaboration with its Alumni Association to sustain the Career Preparation Programme through regular webinars, mentorship platforms and professional engagement sessions that would provide continuous guidance for students throughout their academic journey.
The Don also announced plans to invite the West Africa leadership of Oracle to partner with the University in expanding its entrepreneurship capacity and exposing students to emerging opportunities within the global digital economy.
Charging the students to embrace lifelong learning, he advised them to dedicate the early years of their lives to acquiring knowledge and skills, the middle years to building prosperity and the later years to giving back to humanity through service and mentorship.
He described the students as the future of Africa, urging them to believe in their abilities and contribute meaningfully to the continent’s development.
Earlier, the Director of Career Services and Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Professor Adebola Aderibigbe, said the Career Preparation Programme was introduced after the Directorate conducted an extensive survey across 40 organisations to evaluate the workplace readiness of FUOYE graduates.
He explained that the study revealed that although many graduates possess sound academic qualifications, they often lack the practical competencies required to compete successfully in the labour market, particularly in career documentation, interview confidence and professional communication.
Professor Aderibigbe recalled the experience of a graduate who attended her first job interview nine years after graduation because she did not know how to navigate the employment process, describing the incident as one of the realities that informed the University’s decision to introduce the programme.
He noted that the initiative would expose students to career documentation, interview mastery, workplace etiquette, professional communication, digital visibility and emerging career opportunities, while equipping them with the confidence to compete favourably in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Professor Aderibigbe also announced that the Vice-Chancellor approved a cash reward of ₦100,000 for Omotayo Faith, a student with over 20,000 LinkedIn followers, after she voluntarily packaged an outstanding LinkedIn optimisation video session during the programme.
He said her confidence, professional delivery and digital expertise reflected the innovative mindset and excellence the University seeks to encourage among its students as it prepares them for success in the 21st-century workplace.
