KETHA JobNet initiative links hospitality graduates to employers

Elias Hakizimana Dec 16, 2025Dec 17, 2025 0 Comments

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

Kigali, December 12 — Employers from Rwanda’s hospitality industry, including hotels, tour operators and lodges, on December 13 gathered at Kigali Excellence Tourism and Hospitality Academy (KETHA) in a practical effort to connect skilled graduates with employment opportunities under the JobNet initiative supported by the City of Kigali.

The event brought together school authorities, graduates and employers for direct interviews and discussions aimed at easing the transition from training to employment in the tourism and hospitality sector.

KETHA Principal Dr. Alphonse Habimana said the initiative was introduced as part of the academy’s responsibility to follow up on its graduates after training and internships.

“KETHA is a TVET institution offering technical secondary education as well as short courses in culinary arts and tour guiding,” Dr. Habimana said. “After internships, we must follow up to see whether graduates are employed and, if not, help place them on the labour market.”

**KETHA Principal Dr. Alphonse Habimana (in a blue suit) pictured with one of the recruiters at KETHA.**

He noted that the school decided to institutionalize the initiative after drawing lessons from the City of Kigali’s JobNet program, with plans to organize similar engagements every six months.

“Today, we hosted nine employer institutions offering a total of 67 available job positions,” Dr. Habimana said, adding that interviews were ongoing to ensure all positions are filled by qualified graduates.

He stressed that the academy’s target is to see all skilled graduates employed. “We don’t want any graduate with proper skills sitting at home. Our goal is to see 100 percent employment,” he said.

Dr. Habimana also highlighted the importance of graduates actively seeking opportunities, urging them to remain persistent in job searching. “Looking for a job is also a job. Graduates need to invest time and effort and visit as many institutions as possible,” he said.

According to KETHA’s internal surveys, about 83 percent of the academy’s graduates have already been linked to employment in hospitality institutions, a figure the school aims to further increase through stronger partnerships with employers.

Graduates who attended the event described it as a motivating experience.

Thierry Imanishimwe, a 23-year-old Culinary Arts graduate from Gasabo District, said the initiative gave him hope at a time when many young people struggle to enter the job market.

“I am very impressed to see employers coming here to meet us. It helps connect what we learned in school with the labour market,” he said, noting that employers took his contacts for follow-up.

He added that lack of experience remains a major barrier for many youths. “Unemployment among young people is high, and everywhere they ask for experience. This initiative by KETHA is a big step in fighting that problem,” he said.

Thierry Imanishimwe, a 23-year-old Culinary Arts graduate from Gasabo District, shares his experience during the initiative, saying it gave him hope as employers met directly with graduates, bridging classroom learning and the labour market.

Another graduate, Josephine Umubyeyi, who completed her Culinary Arts studies this year, said the event showed that the school still cares about its former students.

“It is encouraging to see our school approaching different companies for us,” she said. “Today I registered with two companies, and my level of expectation is about 70 percent.”

The KETHA JobNet engagement highlights how collaboration between training institutions, employers and the City of Kigali can help bridge the gap between skills and employment, offering a practical model for addressing youth unemployment in Rwanda’s hospitality and tourism sector.