Even though Zambia’s unemployment rate was at 4.22% in 2023, the number of unemployed people seems bigger in reality.
Many years ago you never needed to have connections to get a job even just with a certificate as your highest qualification.
However, today the story completely changed due to high levels of competition among job seekers having the same undergraduate degrees.
Look, many people are aware about the value of school but not aware that employment opportunities are scanty.
For young stars out there take this post as a guide to choosing undergraduate programs that are still in high demand for employment in Zambia.
In other words, these undergraduate degrees will make you get employed faster than others.
Due to high population growth rates in Africa as a whole not excluding Zambia, unemployment levels have increased tremendously.
It seems You have landed on the right post about the undergraduate degrees that are marketable in Zambia. Please read to the end.
Which degrees get instant jobs in Zambia
There are so many degree programs in Zambia for undergraduates but which ones should you go for to get employed instantly?
You can agree with me that getting a job these days is not as easy as it used to be in the past.
Even if you can get employed without any connections the obvious story is that you need someone to stand for you at the very institution recruiting.
We have currently so many graduates who are unemployed in Zambia from different fields of study.
To make matters worse some of them have even forgotten what they studied at university due to extended periods of unemployment.
Today I want to bring to you the undergraduate degrees that would make you get employed within a few months of graduating from your school.
If you are someone looking for which degree program to do, here is a list.
Here are the top undergraduate degrees in high demand for jobs in Zambia:
1. Cybersecurity Degree: With a 10-year growth rate of 32% and an average annual salary of $112,000, a degree in cybersecurity is highly sought after.
2. Mathematics Degree: A mathematics degree has a 10-year growth rate of 23% and an average annual salary of $99,590.
3. Computer Science Degree: Computer science graduates are in high demand, with jobs in software development, data analysis, and IT.
4. Engineering Degree: Engineering degrees in fields like mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering are highly sought after in Zambia.
5. Business Administration Degree: A degree in business administration can lead to jobs in management, finance, and human resources.
6. Medical / health degree: There are so many schools offering undergraduate health sciences and medicine these include: the University of Zambia Ridgeway campus, Levy Medical University, CBU SoM, Apex Medical University, and many others.
These degrees are in high demand due to Zambia's growing economy and technological advancements.
Why is it difficult to get a job in Zambia?
Economic, political, and demographic factors are major issues affecting employment these days.
Economic. Look at how bad the economy has become in Zambia making businesses go broke.
You cannot get employed if companies are making losses. For example, Investrust Bank Zambia went broke such that most people lost their jobs and no more new job vacancies for graduates with finance degrees.
Banking business like other businesses depends on customer base.
More customers depositing and withdrawing money makes a bank's revenue but if no one does transactions it means the bank just accumulates expenses with no remarkable profit.
The poor economy is a major factor affecting employment levels.
No investor would want to invest their money in an impoverished economy like that of Zambia.
Political. Policies also contribute to an increase in unemployment in Zambia.
The political power determines the policies of a country meaning good policy leads to an improved economy thereby improving the businesses in the country.
We Know businesses are the sources of employment.
Demographic. Our populations are increasing exponentially such that human resources are more than what the employment system can accommodate in the country.
Look at how many unemployed graduates we have in the country. Teaching, nursing, pharmacy, and business studies are among the most unemployed categories.
Every year there are thousands of people graduating in various fields of study making employment scaresy in the country.
In simple terms, we have more people ready for employment than available employment.
How can Zambia improve job availability?
For graduating students to have more jobs the burden should not be on the government alone to offer employment.
More job creation requires good political will example reduce in taxes for running businesses so more investors are encouraged to establish companies in the country.
Schools should emphasize training students on how to become business owners instead of preparing them just for employment.
Corruption is still a problem and now it has moved to incognito mode. Reducing corruption improves the equal distribution of resources to citizens.
The population should also be controlled to reduce the young population which is called an unproductive age.
Which is better, A job or business?
More People would prefer employment over running their own business.
According to a survey at Copperbelt University, 80% of students who participated confirmed to prefer employment to running their own business.
Reasons varied from student to student however the majority pointed to the uncertainty of running a business as a major disadvantage.
For many reasons, other people choose to run a business because you control your time and do things on your own time.
Businesses can make more money if you know how to play your cards well in the industry than employment that gives a fixed salary whether or not you worked more hours.
Related:
Scholarships for Zambian students
