SUA affirms to make its graduates qualify for global job markets

DODOMA: THE Vice-Chancellor of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Professor Raphael Chibunda, has said the university is committed to ensuring that every graduate acquire practical skills that can enable them to secure employment, become self-employed domestically or globally.

Professor Chibunda made the remarks in Dodoma while briefing media outlets on the implementation of SUA’s budget for the 2025/2026 financial year and the university’s plans for the 2026/2027 financial year.

He said SUA’s philosophy was to ensure that students do not graduate with academic qualifications alone, but also acquire practical skills relevant to their respective fields of study.

“At Sokoine, we have a saying: ‘There is no degree to pick up at Sokoine; when you come to Sokoine, you study for your degree.’ This means that when you come to study for a degree, you must also acquire practical skills relevant to your field,” he said.

According to Professor Chibunda, students pursuing agricultural studies are taken to training farms where they learn how to use various agricultural technologies and machinery, including operating tractors.

He said SUA had established a specialised school for training students in the operation of agricultural machinery as part of its efforts to produce graduates with skills required in the productive sectors.

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“In some degree programmes, including the Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering, a student cannot complete their studies and obtain a university certificate without having the skills to operate and use agricultural machinery, including tractors,” he said.

Professor Chibunda said the initiative was aimed at narrowing the gap between university education and labour-market requirements while equipping graduates with the ability to apply their professional knowledge in real-world working environments.

He said the university believed that graduates who possessed both academic qualifications and practical skills were better positioned to use their knowledge for self-employment or to secure jobs.

“It is our hope that such a person, upon graduation, will not have to walk around the streets carrying an envelope looking for a job, unless that is their own choice,” he said.