Students of the University of Energy and Natural resources have been urged to think entrepreneurial rather than aiming at non-existing white-colored jobs after school.
Managing Director of Hollard Insurance, Nashiru Iddrisu, also said students must pick their mentors well and be mindful of what they spend money on.
He further charged them to think about solving the many problems confronting society and in the process, create jobs and nurture them to grow.
Mr. Iddissu spoke at a Hollard X Academia mentoring session at UENR organized by Hollard insurance.
The session, which is in its second year, was meant to prepare students for life after school. It was themed “A better future, getting ready for the world of work”.
The event, which is part of an existing partnership with the university, saw some senior Hollard management members interact and share meaningful life and corporate experiences with the students as they prepare for life after school.
Mr. Iddrissu stated that their purpose as an organization is to enable more people to secure better futures, after which they can think of business and insurance.
“The whole idea is to break the world of work down to let people appreciate that certain basic skills are needed before you enter into work to help reduce the unemployment rate”, Mr. Iddrissu said.
He noticed the lack of confidence, the “I don’t need a mentor, attitude”, and not being mentored by the right person as some challenges.
“For you to choose a mentor, you must see something in that mentor that attracts you –their business, intellect, communication, engagement, skills, and others. You don’t pick mentors because they are older than you since some elders may even need mentoring”.
Hollard Insurance plans to mentor other students in different institutions before the year ends.
Managing Director, Hollard General Business, Daniel Boi Addo, said it’s important to explain to students at this age why they need an entrepreneurial mindset that could help them attain better futures.
He, however, noted that the entrepreneurial mindset cannot be created in a day but the questioning process needed to start as to whether they can start their business in or after school.
The Head of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation at UENR, Reginald Djimatey, admonished the students to cultivate the habit of planning else they risk becoming frustrated in the future and join the graduate unemployed association.
“You can start doing something now. You don’t have to wait to get something big that may never come. Before you realize you are aging and becoming frustrated in life if you don’t cultivate the habit of savings and planning”, he said.
The students thanked Hollard for the opportunity and hoped the impact of the session would manifest in their lives.
Michael Frimpong, a student participant, said, hitherto, his concentration was only on how to get good grades, but the session has taught him how he could start preparing for life after school as an entrepreneur.
A level 100 student, Elsie Otuo Acheampong, said after failing in an earlier business, she feels equipped and motivated after the mentoring session to save and start building her dream business even while at school.
Hollard, which has been in operation in Ghana for over two decades, has two subsidiaries – a general insurance company and a life insurance company – with the purpose to enable more people to create and secure a better future.
