1. Vision

Empowering current undergraduate students and alumni by providing optimal and comprehensive career development services, assisting them to get employment or job creation opportunities and establishing strategic partnerships with employers and organizations in order to attain the graduates career goals.

2. Mission

Career Development Center (CDC here after) at Hawassa University is committed to assist students in making connections between their academics experience & Career Path. Provide counseling, trainings, industry & alumni connections to optimize internships & job opportunities.

3. Introduction

The life of a student is an important and dynamic component of tertiary education experience. This is because it provides the students with an opportunity to develop not only academically, but also socially. It is important to note that universities have a responsibility as part of the wholistic education of their graduates to prepare students for eventual entry into the work force or entrepreneurship.

Regardless of recent growth in the access of tertiary education in Ethiopia, there remains a large gap in turning the increased output of first degree graduates into a professional workforce. Although there is a shortage of professional jobs, those that exist are not being fully accessed by new graduates. The youth graduating from universities are facing an increasingly stiff competition to find scarce jobs. In addition, there are gaps in the professionalism of new university graduates who are on the threshold of accepting responsibilities as tomorrow’s leaders.

It is common knowledge that the average graduates with an undergraduate degree do  not receive any formal guidance on how to enter and succeed at the job market including on where and how to look for jobs. In addition, our graduates might not have developed job hunting techniques, CV writing and interview skills, etc. This shows that new graduates enter the job market unprepared for the pressures and challenges of transitioning from world of education to world of work. Generally, due to the absence of career guidance opportunities, it can be assumed that new graduates do not market themselves to their full potential and that they will find the job search process more difficult than it needs to be.

Hence, this document proposes to fill that gap by providing technical support to establish Career Development Center (CDC) that will provide counseling and training to first degree graduating class students to get jobs and succeed at the competitive jobs' market. This is to mean that an effective CDC whose strategies include counseling services, student-industry linkages, apprenticeships, job fairs/expos, recruitments, venture capitals and graduate-tracker services has a critical role to play in this regard.

4. Objectives of Career Development Center

The center is committed to helping prepare undergraduate students to make a smooth transition from studying students to working employees or entrepreneurs. The center will provide professional development counseling and advice that will enable students to have a competitive edge in the job market.

 EDC at HU assists undergraduate students and alumni with all aspects of career planning, including choosing a career, exploring career-related interests, developing relevant soft skills and job search strategies for employment, applying to graduate school as well as enhancing their entrepreneurial orientations. Generally speaking, EDC will help to produce first degree graduates with high employability or entrepreneur skills which directly contribute to the youth unemployment problem in Ethiopia. Specifically, the center aims to:

• Help students know how to write CV, develop job hunting skills, present for interview, develop communication skills, build confidence, write application letter, be ethical in employment skill, develop time management skill, develop entrepreneurial skill, etc. so as to build employers' trust on HU's undergraduates.
• Provide opportunities for students who want to develop their creativity, innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurial interests and start up businesses.
• Help undergraduate students prepare to enter the professional workforce and teach them to be leaders by providing both personal development and career development trainings and workshops.
• Provide students with free resources and prepare them for experiential learning (Internships & Jobs).
• Create networking, information sharing and communication center(contact point) where employers & key stakeholders can find information (background check) about prospective graduates.
• Create consistent ties to different organizations and employers and maintain relationships with them who then participate in the university’s job fairs/expos.
• Develop and provide variety of events(job fairs, expos, information booth, information sessions, and on campus interview program) to connect students and employers.
• Provide informational networks that involve alumni and business professionals as resources in support of the career development of students.
• Conducts the annual graduate employment survey (Tracer Study).

5. The Status of EDC Services in Hawassa University

Currently, HU has 8 colleges, 2 institutes where there is no well functioning Employability EDC; however, it is worth noting that the university has embraced the importance of equipping its students with the required job hunting and entrepreneurial skills through Deliverology Unit.

Now, the university has decided to establish the EDC located at the university's Main Campus in the Building of Institute of Policy, Development & Research (IPDR). This location is selected for the very reasons that it is the Center of Main Campus, it is also housed other student affairs' services and Gender & HIV/AIDS Directorate, is convenient for the  center to have separate spaces for advising and career information, internship & employment services, and additional classrooms for seminars and workshops.

6. Services to be Offered by CDC

For CDC services to be successful, apt and of added value to the students, it will have to be founded and consistently set on principles and values that take into consideration expressed needs and choices of the students and the university at large. To achieve this, the center looks to cater to several stakeholders in the university. In addition, the center will have to adhere to the values and dreams of each college/institute keeping in mind its mission and vision. Thus, to achieve its mandate, CDC will be committed to provide the following services.

6.1 Career Clinic

The CDC is designed to grow into center of excellence and leadership that will be fully owned by HU for providing consistent support and guidance to students as they face challenges of entering professional workforce. The center will prepare the ground for more systemized career guidance to students and will culminate in a career week, job fair and career expo which  will be organized once or twice a year.

The first component of CDC will be Career Clinic established at the university. The clinic will be staffed by two career counselors at CDC, and college/institute coordinators and be equipped with computers and internet to provide career guidance and advice on a one-to-one basis at the college/institute. The purpose of the Career Clinic is to present a forum where students can receive counseling about finding a job that matches their interests and qualifications, on writing CVs and interview tips. The career counselors will be available to review CVs and provide practical guidelines.

The counselors in the center and college/institute coordinators are trained professionals who can provide career guidance, organize and facilitate different trainings and events to help the students have career development skills. They will be trained by HU Partners(Save the Children, GIZ). They will have all the necessary information to become effective counselors and coordinators. Assistants will also be recruited from attending students and will be working on a part-time basis for small internship stipend.

6.2 Resource Center

The CDC will have a Resource Center that will be accessible to students free of charges. It will have a library with books on career guides, company profiles, sample of CVs, cover letters, interview questions, etc. The resource's center will be equipped with computers, printers and access to the internet. All computers will be equipped with adaptive technologies in order to make them accessible to visually-impaired students. Moreover, a Braille print out of job information will be available to visually-impaired students. The design of the CDC shall be accessible for students with disabilities. The purpose of this center is to give services for students through different media.  

6.3 Career Week

The career week is to be organized once in a year to welcome students and familiarize them with the CDC, career development and what it means to be in different departments. The career week will include Alumni’s, showcasing different companies, and different types of workshops, internship/voluntary opportunities and field trips for students.  Organizing career week will not only inspire and motivate students but will also support them to identify the career they want to peruse on and prepare them for the job market.

6.4 Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops will be conducted to address employment and career issues throughout the year. The seminars will focus on students where speakers representing various organizations will be invited to talk directly to graduating students about employment opportunities and how to prepare for them. Selected HR managers from reputable organizations will also be invited to address graduating students. Motivational speakers on how to succeed in the world of work shall also be invited to address the students. Several “How to” workshops shall be organized for example, how to write CV, how to be ready and respond to interview, how to succeed in the first 90 days of employment and how to find internship/externship opportunities.

Since instructors play a great role on achieving the center's objective, they need to be well addressed about its importance and why students need to use it regularly. The seminar will consist a discussion and guidance on how to support students on their career development journey, how to motivate them to think beyond the horizon and to help them unleash their potential and develop their job hunting and leadership skills.

6.5 Job Fair and Career Expo

Job Fair and Career Expo are beneficial in order to enable employers to meet the potential employees. These events are also important for students as they provide students with a chance to learn about career related issues like choosing a career, networking skills and opportunities for securing internships or even jobs.

The Job Fair/Career Expo will be held once a year preferably before graduation. This will have different seminars and workshops to prepare students for finding jobs and internship's opportunities.

The job fair is a unique environment in which both students and recruiting organizations have the chance to meet face to face and interact on career opportunities. Organizations will also be invited to showcase their activities and potential employees have the chance to interact with them which allows both the recruiter and students to pre-screen each other.

Job fairs also offer a cost effective and convenient way to contact a large number of students in a relatively short time. Organizations from private, government and non-government sectors will be invited to attend the job fair free-of-charges. University Industry Linkage (UIL) Directorate shall facilitate the invitation of participating organizations. Organizations who request to address students at the seminar will be accommodated even encouraged to do so. Students will be given an ample training through the career clinic to succeed at the job fair. These include but not limited to guide to participation at the job fair, how to impress recruiter, and list of participating organizations with their profile and type of job or internship available. The Web Technology & Media Expert of since instructors play a great role on achieving the center's objective, they need to be well addressed about its importance and why students need to use it regularly. The seminar will consist a discussion and guidance on how to support students on their career development journey, how to motivate them to think beyond the horizon and to help them unleash their potential and develop their job hunting and leadership skills.

6.6 Internship/Voluntary, Job Placement & Apprenticeship Services

The CDC Center shall act as center for employment. It will avail internship, externship and job opportunities by announcing on its notice board and online on electronic job board. The center shall assist employers with student information when requested. When recommending students for jobs or internship or externship it will give precedence to qualified female and student with disabilities. The center shall also match graduating students with possible employers and take the initiatives to reach out to potential employers. It will avail student profile that includes their achievements, CVs and credentials.

The CDC in collaboration with UIL will create strong industry linkage by creating a rapport with hiring managers. These include inviting the representatives to visit the university, engage with students and organizing a tour to their facilities. The center shall also assist the employers who provide scholarship to students and wish to organize different innovative competitions. The center shall also collaborate with organizations who wish to organize their own event.

The apprenticeship service enables the employers to identify prospective employees from the university. Through mentorship, the employers are able to fulfill their future training needs. Furthermore, the process enables institutions to understand the employers' future workforce needs, identify skills gap, and provide and manage training programs through apprenticeships.

6.7 Field Visit

The center shall organize field trips to selected organizations to help students understand how organizations work by visiting their facilities, meeting with managers and recently hired students. The trip to factories or facilities will help students increase their exposure on how organizations operate. If possible, participating employers will be asked to sponsor the field trip by providing bus tour and luncheon reception.

6.8 Virtual Career Services

The CDC through its website will avail online information that can be accessed by employers and students. Employers can post vacancies and their profiles and search for students based on their needs. Students can build their CVs and apply for jobs online. The website will also avail career information and guidance to users free of charge. The virtual career center will be accessible to graduating students from all colleges and institutes of the university and its access will not be limited to those students participating in the career expo. This is to say that students who miss the physical career expo will be able to participate online. Furthermore, all company information and jobs will be posted online.

6.9 Gender Mainstreaming and Disability Access

The center shall take a conscious effort to assist female students to overcome challenges of finding a job. It is common understanding that female students often receive fewer paying jobs and promotion than their equivalent counter male students. So, the center will organize workshops and trainings to help female students know how to negotiate for better pay and jobs, how to build their confidence to present their qualification and how to avoid and deal with potential sexual harassment during interviews.

The center shall provide technical assistant to students with disabilities in collaboration with HU Gender & HIV Directorate & Ethiopian Center for Disability Development. These include creating awareness about diversity and hiring student with disabilities to organizations, availing sign language interpreter for deaf students to attend workshop and trainings as well as accompanying translator during interviews and provide Braille print out to visually-impaired students.

6.10  An Entrepreneur Incubator Services

The entrepreneur incubator program will look to offer students who are willing to be entrepreneurs' laser-focused support to develop their ideas. Therefore, the incubator will be looking to mentor student innovators and provide access to information and in some cases seed money that would allow them realize their dreams of establishing their own businesses.

The program will also provide seminars that are related to entrepreneurship. This will be a service provided for free to all students interested in starting up their own business. In this regard, students are expected to be innovative and take part in venture capital fairs to provide them with an opportunity to pitch their business ideas/projects to potential investors who can finance or offer mentorship towards the success of the projects.

6.11 Establishing Alumni Network & Student Ambassadors

Alumni are among the best candidates for institutions' leadership, philanthropy, and goodwill ambassadors and they are increasingly becoming mentors to current and prospective students. For these reasons, institutions of higher learning cannot afford to lose touch with their graduates. Alumni represent the past, but they provide the foundation of an institutions future. Too often, because the return on an institutions' investment in alumni takes time, schools are less apt to make effective alumni relations a top priority. It is therefore paramount that each university and tertiary institution makes it a priority to establish a network of all their graduates and keep in constant contact.

Student ambassadors are very vital in most institutions of higher learning. They address the needs of all students. They serve as a lesson to student organizations and assist in the development and implementation of specific projects. Their participation provides an invaluable link to the student body and representatives for the office EDCRC as well as selected academic departments. They also establish meaningful supportive relationship with student's faculty and staff. Student ambassadors create a sense of belonging and develop a sense of connection.

In summary, the following typical activities will be in place in CDC.

• Offering trainings on career planning and job searching.
• Organizing activities such as job fairs & expos & recruitment sessions during which students & employers can meet for interviews or informational sessions.
• Develop & maintain career resources library that includes employers & candidate assessment.
• Organizing workshops & trainings, & resume writing, employer recruiting techniques, interview skills & entrepreneurship.
• Creating & updating a database with authorized student information for potential employer review.

7. EDCRC's Staff Descriptions & Responsibilities

 The center is under the control of the president’s office according to the direction given by the Ministry of Science & Higher Education (MoSHE). The structure of the center is composed of 17 persons. It has 1 Director and 1 Counselor at Department Head level, 1 Coordinator of Entrepreneurship & Business Incubation Center at Department Head level, a Messenger at the Director's office, 8 coordinators assigned from academic staffs at Department Head level at each college/ IoT. The organogram for the organizational structure of EDCRC is shown below.

7.1 CDC Director’s Duties and Responsibilities

The Director of CDC is accountable to the University's President and has different roles and responsibilities to ensure that the CDC services are current and focused on the career development of students. Specifically, he/she:

• Establishes, organizes & manages the overall activities, resources & services, budget, staff's activities &  performances of the center.
• Supports the planning of career weeks, seminars & workshops, job fairs & career expos so as to provide leadership roles in the effective organization of these events.
• Plans, organizes, facilitates & follows up different trainings, orientations & programs related to career development to develop students' career capacity, soft skills & personal development competences.
• Provides the overall strategic direction for all career services in HU including: internships & co-ops, job fairs, career counseling, workshops, trainings, etc., that link students with job opportunities.
• Build partnerships between the university & external; governmental & non-governmental organizations & employers (locally, regionally & nationally) emphasizing aggressive development & marketing to expand experiential learning & employment opportunities.
• Review progress and evaluate the strengths & weaknesses of each services provided by CDC & endow with timely feedback to concerned bodies.
• Represent HU at specified regional professional association conferences and professional development workshops, to visiting employers, partners (Governmental & Non-governmental), and alumni.
• Carries out other similar activities, and participates on committees as recommended by the President.

• Shall be member of Senate Executive Committee (SEC) of Hawassa University.

7.2 Duties and Responsibilities of EDCRC Counselors

Generally, the CDC counselors work on the improvement of students' soft skills and will be fully in charge of facilitating all the trainings and career counseling and guidance to assist students develop job hunting skills in collaboration with college/IoT CDC coordinators. Specifically, the counselors:

• Are responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of the CDC's action plan. They assist in the actualization of achieving measurable objectives linked to the CDC.
• Serve as a liaison to the college's/institute's coordinators to assist students and alumni in their effort to make informed about the services provided by CDC.
• Plans, coordinates, and conducts all university events that prepare students for employment opportunities.
• In collaboration with college/IoT CDC Coordinators, facilitates & coordinates continuous provision of career development counseling services for students.
• Plan, organize and facilitate different career development trainings on job hunting techniques and skills(CV writing, Mock interviews, online job applying techniques, etc.), workshops/seminars in collaboration with colleges'/ IoT's coordinators for students to help them develop their job search strategies and skills both domestically and internationally.
• Work with the College/Institute CDC Coordinators to support graduates on domestic and international employment opportunities.
• Will occasionally have administrative tasks and report writing duties, but mainly they are assigned to act as motivators, supervisors, follow-up activities at different colleges/IoT.
• In collaboration with partners, colleges/IoT organize and conduct trainings, workshops, and other events (job fair, career expo, internships and field visits) to develop career planning and employability skills for students.
• Facilitate, control and follow up the experts' provision of college/IoT level counseling services to students on career development issues.
• Assists in the planning and implementation of the Career Fairs as well as other major outreach programming, & other duties as assign by the Director of CDC
• Provide assistance and instruction on resume and CV writing, cover and thank-you letter development, interview presentation skills, and other tools and materials needed for an effective jobs search.
• Provide job searching assistance for various levels of industry, research, managerial, academic, and international opportunities, including experiential learning opportunities such as internships and cooperative education.
• Assist as needed with all CDC programs, events, activities, workshops and customer requests.
• Prepares monthly and quarterly performance reports of the center.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the director to ensure the success of career services on behalf of the university, its students, and alumni.

7.3 Duties and Responsibilities of Entrepreneurship & Business Incubation Coordination Office (EBICO) Coordinator

• Develops a strategic plan that can serve to integrate the growing student entrepreneurs & their businesses or innovative ideas into the core economic vitality & to help them grow and expand,
• Creates awareness about entrepreneurship and innovation in collaboration with Technology Transfer Center,
• Organizes and provides entrepreneurship and business skill development trainings for students & staff in collaboration with partners.
• Organizes, facilitates and coaches business development idea competition, trainings & other supports coming from other institutes or organizations working on agenda of entrepreneurship & business incubation.                                                                       
• Provides opportunities for students to develop their creativity, innovation, enterprise & entrepreneurial interests, & creates market linkage for Incubatees,
• In collaboration with University Industry Linkage(UIL) organizes and facilitates different entrepreneurship development & innovative programs and trainings for students,
• He/She will prepares timely action plan and reports the performances to the Director of EDCRC
• He/she will perform other related duties as assigned by the Director of ED

       7.4 Duties and Responsibilities of CDC Admin

       7.4.1 Administrative Assistant

• Provides support for the CDC like assisting the director in compiling data and information for the monthly and annual reports.
• Performs advance secretarial & clerical work, which includes administrative office responsibility & requires the application of independent judgment and knowledge of rules, policies & procedures.
• Plans, organizes, develops & implements administrative procedures for the center.
• Establishes & maintains a diverse & complex document filing system.
• Manage supplies & equipments for the center, including buying, distributing and related accounting.
• Screens telephone calls & incoming mail searches files and a variety of source material to serve as background for reports
• Prepares materials for meetings, notices, agenda & related reports & routes.
• Creates and modifies documents using Microsoft Office.
• Prepares administrative forms and purchase requisitions & Orders office supplies
• Manages filing system & records information as needed.
• Updates paperwork, maintains documents and word processing.
• Helps in organizing and maintaining office common areas.
• Performs general office clerk duties and errands.
• Organizes travel by booking accommodations and reservations needs as required.
• Maintains office equipment as needed.
• Aids with client reception as needed & experience as a virtual assistant.
• Schedule appointments and update event calendars & arranges staff meetings
• Handles incoming and outgoing mail and faxes, drafts routine memos, or other reports
• Performs other duties as required by the director.

7.4.2 Web Technology and Social Media Expert

1. Organizes & facilitates the establishment of offline and online career information of the center, CDC website and IT support & Database creation.
2. Creates a database of jobs available which is to be obtained through partnerships with employers.
3. Maintains, posts, and/or distributes information concerning full and part-time jobs.
4. Reviews and updates annually all CDC services publications including the career guide, career services brochure, credential file forms, co-op forms, etc.
5. Manages the center’s website and social media platforms by uploading up-dated information and resources for students.
6. Creating online intra and inter university database for job opportunities, Developing framework (establishing relationship with industries, MoU and invitation for career week, field visit and Job Fairs).
7. Establish an alumni database which will comprise all the graduates and will help the CDC constantly keep up with them as well as provide contacts between the alumni and current students.
8. Develops and/or improves mechanisms for tracking & reporting data/statistics, for both internal and external audiences.
9. Coordinate resources in support of programming and independent student accessibility including Internet links, transparencies, electronic media, employer directories, employment vacancy bulletins, etc.
10. Develop on line services for employers and job seeking graduates through Career Services website.
11. Responsible for collating and uploading graduate and final year student CV’s to employer portal on portal.
12. Maintain a communication strategy to keep final year students and graduates informed of vacancies and career portal.
13. Accountable for destination follow up process and recording of all graduating students for 12 months after graduation.
14. Maintain regular contacts with potential employers for new job opportunities for graduates.
15. Produce regular reports on employment status of graduating students to management and as requested by Colleges/Institute.
16. Assist employers with posting job and internship openings and sharing opportunities with students.
17. Coordinates all record keeping and gathering of data for CDC statistical accountability.

7.4. 3 Duties & Responsibilities of Messenger

Generally, the CDC Messenger picks up and delivers messages, documents, packages, & other items between offices or departments within an establishment or directly to other business concerns. Specifically, she/he:

• Sorts, delivery and pick up of letters from various offices on the premises at regular intervals. 
• Packages/packs materials received for dispatch; labeling, inserting, and franking outgoing letters, etc.
• Monitors all visitors to the office; assistance to visitors by providing directions and accurate information related to CDC.
• Operates photocopying and duplicating machines, binding, and filing.

7.5 Duties & Responsibilities of College/IoT CDC Coordinator

• Compiles graduate profiles
• Organizes awareness creation workshop on Career Development
• Helps students connecting to careers, industry, research, job opportunities, internships, etc.
• Provides career counseling and career development sessions for graduates and alumni.
• Serves as a liaison to an assigned college, facilitating relationships with faculty, advising students and alumni regarding resume writing, interviewing skills, and job and internship searches, and providing career counseling.
• Research and analyze current employment trends in various industries and maintain regular contacts with potential employers for new job opportunities.
• Organize and facilitate different trainings so as to educate students on writing resume & cover letter, interview preparation, job-searching skills, etc.
• Conduct mock interviews and job search workshops career awareness events and job fairs for students.
• The college/IoT coordinator organizes, trains, and supervises the university community through volunteer students and community service programs while practicing their leisure activities.
• Interact & work with potential employers via email, social media, telephonically and in person as needed.
• Research job opportunities via social media and career boards to find employment and internship opportunities.
• Counsels and advises students individually or in groups, on issues related to planning an academic program, choosing an educational or career goal.
• Prepares, organize, and maintain appropriate resources, reports and statistical summaries of their respective college/IoT with regard to CDC activities.
• Provides information on specific programs, and make referrals where appropriate, to services offered by the institute/college/university or by organizations outside for the educational and/or career enhancement of the individual.
• Develops a structured Career Development Ambassadors Program within the college/IoT where students can serve as key liaisons to their student constituency.
• Plans & coordinates Career related exhibitions and events including annual Career Fair, Targeted recruitment events and networking forums for final year students and job seeking graduates and alumni.
• Provides information to students on topics that affect career opportunities and advancement such as job search strategies, educational & training opportunities, occupational outlook information, & career enhancement materials and resume writing and/or programs on career planning and placement topics.
• Assists students in the development of resumes, cover letters, and mock interviews and make recommendations for improvements.
• Establishes new external partnerships and helps students explore cooperative education, internships, graduate and professional schools, government jobs, part and full-time employment opportunities.
• Coordinates on-campus interviews for permanent jobs and internships.
• Assist in developing, implementing and evaluating programs to increase student awareness of and participation in career opportunities.
• Prepares reports and other statistical data as necessary and requested by CDC of the university.
• Provides career counseling and career development sessions for graduates and alumni.
• Responsible for conducting college/IoT level Tracer Study.
• Shall be member of College/IoT AC