There are moves to provide youths with the skills to develop themselves and overcome barriers to employment. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
The government is backing apprenticeships and supporting programmes that help young people transit to employment.
The number of modern apprenticeship and employability skills training has risen nationwide. In Lagos, there are programmes for youths to develop the life skills to find meaningful employment.
Chairman, Knowledge Exchange Centre (KEC), Charles Nwodo Jr said the economy has faced new technologies that have affected the ways people work, urging youths to acquire foundational skills to thrive in the evolving workforce.
While workplaces are adopting new technology and rethinking critical skill needs, he noted that this has introduced high rates of job vacancy, which requires a renewed commitment to skills and talent development across businesses at every level.
He said Nigeria is facing labour shortages, yet the untapped pool of talent is large.
According to him, employers have long pointed to the difficulty in finding people with the skills they need to operate and grow their businesses.
To this end, he called on the youth to acquire employability skills that will help them launch into the broader workforce.
KEC, Nwodo Jr explained,help job seekers to benefit from opportunities to take placements, internships, practicums and other experiential learning. This, he added, helps to put learning into context, establish employability skills, connect with an employer network and build confidence.
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He continued that the centre offers relevant training programmes to meet today’s needs in areas such as digital marketing, entrepreneurship, business resilience and workplace diversity.
Executive Secretary, KEC, Ajibade Adedapo, said the non-governmental organisation (NGO) recognises the importance of investing in youths and helping break down barriers to employment.
To this end, he said, it runs programmes to give young Nigeria the support they need to launch a meaningful career.
The programme, according to him, consists of a skills session followed by work experience. During the session,he explained, participants take part in employability skills training online.
According to him, participants have access to a milestone-based curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs and focusing on essential skills. He explained that its Graduate Advancement Programme Network ((GAP) Network is the game changer for unemployed graduates in Nigeria were young graduates.
In collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, he said KEC wants to make sure that every Nigerian who wants to work, has the chance to.
Through the Graduate Advancement Programme Network, he said the organisation is investing in programmes that help youths across the country get the skills and support they need to get a job, and go to work with confidence.
The GAP Network, he noted, was designed to be a three-month programme but has been modified to 10 weeks, two weeks of the instructor-led training (employability skills) and eight weeks of technical skills training. The programme, he continued,encompassed the components needed to help graduates secure meaningful employment and accelerate career growth through training, career counselling, mentoring, internship and a structured support system for its alumni.