The Federal Ministry of Finance, through its Graduate Internship Scheme has trained about 100 Graduates in Benue State at a training titled “Career Development and Entrepreneurship Skills Training”.
Mr Peter Pakpa, Director Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), Federal Ministry Finance, on Monday said that the ministry would train over 100 unemployed graduates under the scheme in Benue State.
Mr Papka 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.
Mr Salisu Yakubu representing the Director GIS, while addressing the participants in Makurdi, said that the programme was to train universities and polytechnics graduates on skills acquisition.
He 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.
He said the only key to solve it was a 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.”
He 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 Exit Training was held at the Conference Hall of Greenbelt Hotel, Makurdi, Benue State.
The Lead Facilitator Mrs Victoria Daaor admonished participants to take the training very serious by following the instruction and the basic rules with a view to getting the best.
She said that nobody would give them what they wanted unless they worked towards their own set agenda and goals.
She urged the participants to use the knowledge gained to be self-reliant and contribute their quota to national development.
