Participants at the training
The Federal Ministry of Finance, through its Graduate Internship Scheme has trained about 50 Graduates in Osun State at a training titled “Orientation and Employability Skills Training”.
Mr Dennis Chukwu, Director Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), Federal Ministry Finance, on Monday said that the ministry would train over 50 unemployed graduates under the scheme in Osun State.
Mr. Chukwu said the GIS was developed to enhance the employability of up to 50,000 (by 2015) unemployed graduates in the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT through internship programs in pre-selected institutions; reduce the vulnerability of unemployed graduates; build manpower base towards attaining national development operations and provide income supplement and a social safety net for unemployed graduates.
Mrs Okorie Oyidiya representing the Director GIS, while addressing the participants in Osogbo during the opening ceremony, said that the programme was to train universities and polytechnics graduates on skills acquisition.
She said that the Federal Government was committed to empowering the youth in the area with skills acquisition for job creation in the country as he decried the current unemployment rate in the country, describing it as unacceptable.
Saying that in view of its prospect for skills building and job creation, the scheme has developed special programmes for non-oil sector. GIS has entered into special partnerships with government and non-governmental organisations to have graduates trained, mentored and supported in areas such as non-oil export trade, ICT, agriculture, community health, construction, financial inclusion, amongst others.
She reiterated that many of the interns are currently part of these partnerships and the Directorate is happy with the positive feedbacks it is receiving from some of the employers, as she maintained that the only key to solve unemployment problem could only be through concerted effort by all the stakeholders.
Basically, the internship programme is to prepare the graduates for the job market, in the quest for job search. “The interns had been placed in reputable private and public organisations for the period of 12 months where they were trained on various skills and paid monthly stipend of N30,000 and above.”
She said many graduates have used the GIS platofrom to distinguish themselves in their places of work. in the face of obvious challenges they have defied the odds against them to be true representatives of their families, their communities, the organization where they worked and the country at large.
She also said the objective of the Prepare interns exiting from scheme on opportunities for wealth creation in different sectors of the Nigerian economy; Guide them on strategies for enhanced job creation or employment; Expose interns to opportunities in cooperative system in mobilizing funds for business start-ups and sources of funding.
The programme is also designed to help interns in the place of networking and partnership; Enterprise establishment and development of business plans and Financial literacy and management.
Fundamentally, the training seeks to economically empower the unemployed graduates through conscious engagement and development of entrepreneurial capacities. In an attempt to rightly position the interns to take full advantage of the intervention, the training was held at the Conference Hall of Regina Suites, along East-West Ring Road, Osogbo, Osun State.
The Lead Facilitator Mr. Victor Femi of Global Knowledge Consulting admonished participants to take the training very serious by following the instruction and the basic rules with a view to getting the best.
He said that nobody would give them what they wanted unless they worked towards their own set agenda and goals as he urged the participants to use the knowledge gained to be self-reliant and contribute their quota to national development.
Two interns shared their success stories at the opening ceremony. Kikelomo Rihannat Olawale, of the Peace Corp, was full of praises for the Federal Government regarding the programme. She said apart from the fact that she had improved her capacities and skills, out of her monthly stipends, she was able to buy a sewing machine for herself after learning some tailoring skills. Not just that, she was also able to assist her mother in starting petty trading as a way to help the entire family.
Fayemi M. Oluwagbemiga, also from the Peace Corps of Nigeria, has become an employer through his agro-allied scheme, which he has over 30 pigs and piglets.