The Minister of Labour, Employment and Job Creation, Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, has urged graduates to look beyond academic certificates and acquire relevant skills, adaptability and critical-thinking abilities to meet the changing demands of the global labour market.
He said although academic qualifications remained important, graduates must also demonstrate creativity, innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset to enable them to create opportunities for themselves and others.
Mr Agyekum was speaking at the 34th Graduation Ceremony of the Valley View University (VVU) in Accra on Sunday, at which 1,156 students graduated after successfully completing various academic programmes.
The graduates comprised 237 students from the Kumasi Campus, 219 from the Techiman Campus and about 700 from the university’s main campus in Accra.
Held on the theme: ‘Grounded in Excellence and Integrity, Commissioned to Service,’ the ceremony also saw outstanding students honoured with certificates, citations and plaques for their academic excellence and achievements.
Mr Agyekum noted that emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, financial technology (fintech) and agentic AI, were rapidly transforming the world of work.
He also highlighted that the development made it imperative for graduates to continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive job market.
The minister urged the graduates to identify problems within their communities and turn them into opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and business creation.
“Some of you will sign employment contracts, but some of you must also dream of the day when you will sign employment letters for other people,” he stated.
Mr Agyekum said success should not be measured solely by one’s salary or position but also by the value created and the positive impact made on the lives of others.
He congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to make their work a signature of quality, trust, opportunity and service.
The Vice-Chancellor of VVU, Prof. Daniel Ganu, also congratulated the graduates on their perseverance and urged them to uphold the university’s core values of excellence, integrity and service.
He explained that the journey towards graduation had involved lectures, examinations, assignments, research, practical experiences and moments of uncertainty, but determination and hard work had enabled the students to successfully complete their studies.
Prof. Ganu encouraged the graduates to continue learning and acquiring new skills, stressing that obtaining a degree should not mark the end of their personal and professional development.
“Your certificate tells people what you studied, but your integrity tells them who you have become,” he mentioned.
The Valedictorian, Mr Bright Peprah Yeboah, an Accounting graduate, emerged as the overall best graduating student with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.98.
He urged his colleagues to remain resilient and determined in pursuing their dreams.
By EUGENE AMPIAW
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