Every single year, the nation produces thousands of graduates from higher institutions. According to State Minister of Science and Higher Education, Dr. Abdiwasa Abdilah, employment opportunity is one major challenge of the nation. Skill improvement and job creation is one of the prime targets of the nation.
By 2030 the nation has aspired to line itself among the middle income nations. This vision cannot be fulfilled by the government alone. It needs the commitment of the individual investors and industrialists. He said, to take this country out of poverty we need to work hard and industries should play the leading role in area of social responsibility. The more the youth improved their skill in industries the more they will be committed industrialists in the future.
It is obvious that in a country like Ethiopia that aspire to grow, the role of private investors who are willing to pay all the scarify is vital to support government endeavors. This is specially true if they have the skill and the experience in areas where they are engaged in. A single industrialist has key role in creating job opportunity, generating foreign currency and support the economy. Daniel Mebratu is among this industrialist who engaged in lift, elevator technologies and technocraft.
According to Daniel, in addition to technological transformation, private firms and companies have a significant role in creating job opportunities and saving hard currency. Daniel said, “Technological improvement is not an overnight process. It needs commitment. The last 45 years have showed me this.” He said, the industry had been functional for the last 45 years in Ethiopia. When it started its operation, Dan technocraft was engaged in handcraft activities. By doing that it was able to create job opportunities for several Ethiopians.
“With all challenges and hurdles the company is managed to be the pioneer lift manufacturer in Ethiopia. By doing that, it has created job opportunities for several Ethiopians. For instance, currently, more than 600 Ethiopians have got job opportunity in the company.” Hand in hand with creating job opportunity technological transformation is also created in the lift and technocraft areas. “Some years ago, the lift technology was left to the foreign companies. But, Dan-lift technology has shifted this trend.”
He said, sharing experience among the youth and providing them practical experience should be the priority of industries. This is specially true for the new graduates. “For instance, absence of standard in lift technology in the country was one of the challenges to the youth to have a practical experience. However, Dan-Technocraft has provided them a new opportunity to have practical experience.”
Daniel said, the growing economy of the nation needs skilled man power and private firms should be in the forefront to support that. For instance the lift technology is one area where the young graduates will be employed. As to Daniel, before he engaged in the lift technology, he used to produce several handcrafts and office equipment that substitutes imported goods: Metal cupboard, brief cases and others were some of them. This local technology was able to create job opportunity for several youth.
Daniel said, there is always a tendency to undermine locally produced goods. For that reason, the nation losses billions of Birr for imported office equipment. This trend of obsession with imported good is not only undermining local firms. It also narrows the job opportunity.
As to him, whenever we encourage locally produced goods we can save hard currency for the country. At the same time, we can also create job opportunity for those young Ethiopians graduated from different institution. By doing that we can directly or indirectly add value to the economic growth of the nation.
The Ethiopian Herald, August 21/2019
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
