Lagos Commences Training for Unemployed Youth
The Lagos State Government has commenced the training of unemployed youths in the State under its Employability Skills and Job Opportunities programme.
Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, who disclosed this recently while receiving members of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Lagos State Chapter on a courtesy visit to the Ministry, said 305 youth applied for the training programme but only 85 were able to scale the screening test.
He stated that the Ministry, in collaboration with West African Vocational Education (W.A.V.E), has since began the training of those that qualified on Employability Skills and Job Opportunities, adding that the programme is scheduled to run for a period of three weeks.
According to him, “The training will equip participants with soft skills and connect them with entry level jobs within the hospitality and retail industries, noting that plans are also ongoing with an Information Technology firm to train additional 250 youths, across the five divisions of the State for a period of three months in the next quarter”.
While pointing out that everyone has equal opportunity to access the various empowerment programme initiated by the present administration through the Ministry, Durosinmi-Etti emphasized that the selection process is based on the performance and creativity of each individual in the screening test.
He called on the youth to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the programme by coming up with noble ideas coupled with good character, stressing that these are part of the qualities required by applicants to qualify for the various training programmes of the Ministry.
He reiterated that previous attempts to empower youth in the state failed because the programmes were not inclusive, noting the present administration has developed a formidable plan based on equitable and pragmatic ways of creating wealth and employment for all.
The Commissioner emphasized that the government cannot provide jobs for all citizens but is ready to provide an enabling environment as the engine of growth on which the private sector, small and medium scale industries can thrive which will invariably create more job opportunities for the populace.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the youth team, Ambassador Olayinka Oresile said the executive members of the Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter representing the interest of the Youths in the state came on a fact finding mission to know more about the entrepreneurship programme the Ministry has initiated and how the youth can benefit from them.
