SANCTIONS imposed on Zimbabwe by the West are making it hard for some university graduates to get proper jobs that they trained for, recent graduates have said.
In interviews, the graduates said sanctions have limited the available opportunities.
The country has been under sanctions for two decades after it embarked on the land reform programme.
African leaders have since joined hands to lobby for their unconditional lifting.
A recent Information Technology graduate from the Harare Institute of Technology, Mr Tinashe Katsvamutima said due to the closure of industries, one of the effects of sanctions, he is still unemployed as a few companies are employing.
He said he has even tried to apply for a job in the diaspora but has been unfortunate thus far.
“I am failing to apply for an online job outside the country because of the sanctions.
“Most countries do not favour sanctioned countries so once you include your nationality you know your chances are already very low,” he said.
The young graduate appealed for the removal of sanctions as they were making a lot of youths see education as of no use.
“If l do not get a job in the next few months, l will be forced to look for other means of surviving. This will make going to school pointless. This is why a lot of our youths are preferring to look for side hustles instead of going to school,” said Mr Katsvamutima.
Mr Munaishe Takawira, a recent graduate from Chinhoyi University of Technology who studied accounting said sanctions are affecting university graduates. He said sanctions have affected the economy and driven away some investors.
Mr Takawira said once the economy becomes stagnant a lot of companies shut down.
“Once a lot of companies are closed down yet the market for employment is still growing, there will be a high demand for jobs leading to high rates of unemployment,” he said.
A graduate in Developmental Studies from Lupane State University Ms Antonnetta Hlongwane said the rate of unemployment is high especially for young people and it all boils down to sanctions. She said a lot of graduates are idle because of limited jobs.
Ms Hlongwane said if sanctions are removed a lot of youths especially graduates would not be sitting at home with nothing to do after working hard for their degrees.
“Most of our graduates can no longer get the jobs that they are trained for because of sanctions. A lot of companies closed back then when the sanctions were first imposed on our country. Up to this day the country is struggling to open new industries that will help create employment for the recent graduates,” she said.
Ms Thando Dube a graduate from Great Zimbabwe University said due to economic challenges, companies are hiring a few people and most of them are those who are experienced, leaving those who just earned their degrees in the cold.
Ms Dube said as graduates they were looking forward to the day when sanctions will be removed and the economy improves. — The Chronicle
