Industry Specific skills to bridge employment divide: Experts reveal at the ISBAT Human Resource conclave.   

The Human Resource Breakfast session organized by ISBAT University captured powerful insights, engaging discussions, and forward-thinking ideas shaping the future of workability with industry experts calling for a shift from general qualifications to domain expertise with specific skills to fit in the changing employment landscape. 

During the conclave hosted at ISBAT University on April 18, 2026, attracted over 80 organisations, dorminated by Human Resource heads and industry practitioners, urged graduates align education with labour market needs.

The Director of Studies at ISBAT University, Dr. Pradeep Kumar, highlighted that the persistent mismatch between graduates and available jobs is largely driven by weak specialization with many graduates enter the labour market with broad theoretical knowledge but lack the specific competencies required by employers.

“The issue is not the absence of jobs, but the mismatch of skills. Stronger collaboration between universities and industry is needed to build job-ready, specialized talent” he said

Meanwhile the ISBAT University Vice Chancellor Prof. K. Matthew said the university is already integrating competency-based education and training, which emphasises practical and specialised skills development, ahead of its full national rollout in 2027.

He added that “Every student is supposed to go for an internship of four to five months in the second year and again in the final year. The aim is to produce graduates with practical competence in their fields”

Stephen Owor

Milton Stephen Owor, from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Uganda, said graduates must deliberately build competence in defined professional areas if they are to remain competitive.

“Young professionals, invest in specialized skills beyond formal academic qualifications. Winning in today’s world is not about being average but about excellence and distinct value. While Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral levels remain important, they are no longer sufficient on their own without practical expertise anchored in a specific domain” he explained.

The Academy Registrar ISBAT University Dr. G. Paul speaking to participants