Imo free skills training programme in Lagos gathers momentum
The future of Nigeria they say belongs to the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow. Even as they also have tremendous roles to play towards the national development and integration of the country, Nigeria. Quite unfortunate, those youths whom the future of Nigeria would be entrusted seem not to have received the necessary attentions by the authorities concerned in incorporating them into the process of national development.
According to researchers, Nigeria seems to have a youthful population of about 90 million which is about 70 percent of her population. Of this youthful population, more than 70 percent are said to be unemployed even after obtaining relevant work experiences and acquiring other qualifications for the job. The danger of unemployment and idleness after rising can be better imagined.
Presently, we are witnesses to how our youths roam around the streets in search of what to do in order to survive, which predominantly has made battle of survival to be worsened. Most of it all is that some even out of frustration take into negative vices like engaging in criminality, prostitution and drug abuse as a result of idleness.
In progression and as more graduates are stepping out from the high institution, they enter into the labour market searching for an elusive non-existing job even after completing the mandatory national youth service programme. Even after the process of working so hard to get educated, they still come out only to be abandoned with no job and on numerous responsibilities as young people.
A situation where youths after several years of acquiring education could not get jobs, necessitate some of the negative vices the country has continued to witness in recent times like armed robberies, cultism, prostitution, drug addition, hostage taking and lawlessness.
Miffed by this high level of unemployed youths and graduates roaming the street without jobs, the Imo State government through its Liaison office in Lagos has come up with a plan that would go a long way into making the citizens residing in Lagos to be employable.
This exercise which its registration kicked-off last month with a theme: 2-day basic employability skills training programme, aims at redirecting Imo youths with a mindset of being capably employed.
Speaking, the Special Assistant to the Imo State governor on Lagos/Southwest Liaison, Hon. Lisa Asugha, said the exercise as being one of the cardinal programmes in her blueprint would enhance the job readiness and search skills of the indigenes of the State residing in Lagos, as well as preparing them with the strategy of today's job advancement.
Also, she added that it was as a result of meeting up with the effectual and qualitative learning of the world's technological advancement that made the Rescue Mission government of Governor Okorocha, to engage owners of the Nigeria's number one job seeking website, Jobberman.com to headline the programme.
“Great countries are now investing for the future. Great countries are looking up to those future inventors, and they are the youths. What we really want is the best for our people, especially the youths, we want them to explore and discover new horizons so that the world would be a changed place. If the youths are restless, the society will be at restive situation. We wouldn't want to see crisis occur before managing it.
“This very government is highly committed with the welfare of its citizens, and that is why their desire is our passion. As you know, we have unfolded another programme that will go a long way into redirecting the mindset of our youths into making them job employable. Jobberman.com, as a renowned job searching firm, they will be teaching our youths so many things that the colleges, universities and polytechnics could not teach them,” she said.
Furthermore, Okorocha's aide stressed that interested participants have been asked to send their data for the training programme which its accreditation on-going. Emphasizing further, Asugha added that the programme would go a long way into enhancing the job readiness and search skills of the indigenes of the State residing in Lagos and the Southwest in general.
She further hinted that it was under the prominence of qualitative learning that endeared the State government to engage managers of the Nigeria's number one job seeking website, which she said would further make participants to be professionals in their respective fields, also as they are expected to drive the mindset of job creation than its search.
“What we really want is the best for our people, especially the youths, we want them to explore and discover new horizons so that the world would be a changed place. The Rescue Mission agenda of Governor Okorocha, is one that is majorly anchored on education, job creation and youth empowerment.
“With the human oriented policies this administration is unfolding, I think in no too distance time Imo will be a better place. Surely, I will admit that we are on track. Even with the people we have engaged to handle this present exercise, they are all skillful and creative individuals that will pass a message to our people; and I think it worth attending”, she admitted.
However, she stressed that the registration exercise which is already going-on at the Imo liaison office in Lagos, No. 1221B Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, is also expected to run under the expense of the State government, as she added that the exercise is free for all participating Imo citizens. In her words "registration and participation is totally FREE".
Expressing her joy, one of the participating youths, Ifeoma Ohanwe who hails from Isiala Mbano L.G.A thanked the Liaison Officer and the Imo State government for looking beyond into those key areas that never functioned in past administration, adding that with the step on job creation, “it means the government has really come to partner with the people.”
Urging the government to make the programme a continuous exercise, Onyeukwu Kingsley from Isu L.G.A called on Governor Okorocha to extend it so to enable other youths who were not opportune to partake to have an understanding of the training.
Consequently, the participating graduates also called on other Southeast governors to borrow a leaf from governor Okorocha, even as they admitted that the programme is one that would transform and equip them with the needs of the digital world on job search, interviews and Curriculum Vitae writing.
Meanwhile, the partnering firm has shown much interest of educating the participants, as they unfolded their mission statement which is, however, their guide. “The unacceptable high rate of unemployment got us totally perplexed and we decided to take over the world (Jobs World) and do something about it. We set out with a mission to organize, deliver and manage the largest catalogue of jobs in Nigeria. We help employers fill their vacancies quickly and cost-effectively by giving them access to the most relevant pool of qualified job-seekers and professionals”.