Lagos – The Lagos State Government on Friday said it would train 500 final year students of its tertiary institutions in entrepreneurship and employability initiative.
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode said this at the sensitisation programme for the “Ready, Set, Work Initiative”, held at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.
Ambode, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said the programme was an initiative of the Ministry of Education.
However, he said only final year students of LASU and the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, would benefit from the programme.
According to him, 300 students will be absorbed from LASU and 200 from LASPOTECH, while the programme will hold in LASU, Ojo campus.
Ambode noted that the programme was put together by the state government to ensure that graduates from its institutions become employable.
The governor said the programme was aimed at bridging the gap between the quantity and quality of graduates being produced annually and available jobs in the labour market.
“In 2015, 1.9 million students graduated to join the labour market while 427 jobs were created by the government. So, there is need for an intervention.
“The capacity building initiative for the 500 final year students will position the students to succeed in the competitive, global labour market .
“It will equip the students with the skills they need to contribute to the world as viable candidates for employment and importantly, as job creators,” he said.
Ambode further said that the prerequisites for absorption into the programme is for beneficiary to be a final year students in any of the two institutions.
He added that his government was partnering with PricewaterhouseCoopers, FCMB, Access bank Plc, Shell and System Specs Limited to sponsor the programme.
The programme will run for 13 weeks on Saturdays only, beginning from June.
The governor explained that the programme had been divided into three distinct modular curricula.
According to him, the modules are general module, entrepreneurship and employability module.
“Interested candidates can log on to the dedicated website for the programme, www.readysetwork.com.ng, to register,’’ he said.
The criteria for beneficiaries to graduate from the programme, has also been made stringent, so students must demonstrate commitment, be creative, and have a sense of responsibility.
“Students must arrive the venue and be seated at least five minutes before every session and attend at least 21 out of the 24 sessions to qualify for graduation, internship, placement or seed funding.
“We have invited some business mogul to come and speak with participants during the programme so as to inspire them and get linked to major investors and Lagos Employment Trust Fund.
“The best students will also get internship placement in high ranking corporate organisations for six months, which may lead to employment,” Ambode said.
Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, the Vice Chancellor of LASU, expressed optimism that the programme would give the students opportunity to be employable.
Fagbohun said the programme would enable the students gain practical skills and imbibe work ethics that would make them respectable with a valuable degree in the labour market.
According to him, the programme will expose the students and they must be ready to build skills that would make them stand out and relevant on the global scale.
“At the long run, LASU, Lagos State and Nigeria will benefit because it will reduce employment problems.
“Many of them will become entrepreneurs and those working will add value to their work place,” he said. (NAN)
- Latest
- Trending
