THE ILALA Mayor, Mr Jerry Silaa, has advised graduates on self employment, saying the job market is able to absorb only 400,000 out of 800,000 who graduate from colleges every year.

Addressing participants of a workshop on self employment for success over the weekend, Mr Silaa said despite the growth of private sector the number of people getting employment was still small.

"You should change the mindset, stop depending on formal employment, engage yourselves in entrepreneurship," said the mayor. Mr Silaa was speaking when opening of the workshop which was organized by Tanzania Association of Professional Business Development Services Provider Company (TAPBDS) Ltd.

The company which was established by different graduates mobilizes the youth for self employment. Mr Silaa said lack of employment had resulted in urbanization problem with most youth ending up jobless, saying some opt to engage in small and medium enterprises (SMES) which have become ideal tool to alleviate poverty.

"The urbanization in turn has resulted in the shortage of manpower in agriculture sector from 83.7 to 74.6 per cent in rural areas," he said. Mr Joseph Migunda, who is the TAPBDS Executive Director, said the aim of the workshop was to bring together graduates from different higher learning institutions to discuss alternative employment for poverty alleviation.

He said TAPBDS was planning to mobilize the youth on self employment countrywide because academic grades could not guarantee someone of formal employment.