The Nation Newspaper

Tag: internship

  • Shell inducts 30 graduates for internship

    Thirty engineering graduates have been inducted into the fifth batch of the Shell Nigeria internship programme, a four-year-old scheme designed to help young graduate engineers upscale their skills in readiness for employment in the energy sector.

    The programme, run in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), places the interns with various oil and gas service companies for one year.

    Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigerian Content Manager, Mr. Olanrewaju Olawuyi, described the programme as a critical intervention in bridging the manpower gap in the industry and enhancing local capacity.

    Olawuyi, who spoke in Port Harcourt at the induction of the new interns and the graduation of 30 interns of the fourth batch of the programme, said: “Out of the 140 graduates so far trained through the programme, 65 per cent are now gainfully employed in the oil and gas industry. I am excited at the successful feat of the candidates, I encourage the incoming interns to make the best use of this unique opportunity.”

    PETAN President Mr. Bank Anthony Okoroafor said: “The objective of the programme is to give young graduates the opportunity to have one-year-on-the-job training in their respective disciplines thereby enhancing their employability. The success of the Shell/PETAN internship scheme has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria.”

    One of the beneficiaries, Miss Ugonna Queen Ochuba, said: “The Shell/PETAN internship was my first on-the-job training opportunity. The internship did not just give me the opportunity to be hands-on but also helped to boost my skills and experience in my discipline.”

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Manager Capacity Building, Mrs. Angela Okoro, commended the Shell/PETAN deal. She said: “This is one of the capacity development initiatives that the Board is replicating.”

    General Manager, Business and Government Relations of Shell Nigeria, Mr. Bashir Bello, said: “Every year, the Internship supports fresh graduate talent through exposure to rich technical on-the-job work experience to equip them with practical industry experience, which will then position them favorably for employment opportunities after the programme.”

    Shell/PETAN internship was conceived as part of the collaboration roadmaps to support efforts at closing gaps i manpower in critical disciplines, such as Geology and Engineering.

  • Shell inducts 30 graduates for internship

    Thirty engineering graduates have been inducted to the fifth batch of the Shell Nigeria internship programme, a four-year old scheme designed to help young graduate engineers upscale their skills in readiness for employment in the energy sector.

    The internship programme, run in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), places the interns with various Nigerian oil and gas service companies to gain industry experience for one year.

    Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigerian Content Manager, Mr. Olanrewaju Olawuyi, described the programme as a critical intervention in bridging the manpower gap in the industry and enhancing local capacity.

    Olawuyi, who spoke in Port Harcourt at the induction of the new interns and the graduation of 30 interns of the fourth batch of the programme, said: “Out of the 140 graduates so far trained through the programme, 65 per cent are now gainfully employed in the oil and gas industry. I am excited at the successful feat of the candidates, I encourage the incoming interns to make the best use of this unique opportunity.”

    President, PETAN, Mr. Bank Anthony Okoroafor said: “The objective of the programme is to give young graduates the opportunity to have one-year-on-the-job training in their respective disciplines thereby enhancing their employability. The success of the Shell/PETAN internship scheme has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria.”

    One of the beneficiaries, Miss. Ugonna Queen Ochuba, said: “The Shell/PETAN internship was my first on-the-job training opportunity. The internship did not just give me the opportunity to be hands-on but also helped to boost my skills and experience in my discipline.”

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Manager Capacity Building, Mrs. Angela Okoro, commended the Shell/PETAN collaboration. She said: “This is one of the capacity development initiatives that the Board is replicating.”

    General Manager, Business and Government Relations of Shell Nigeria, Mr. Bashir Bello, said: “Every year, the Internship supports fresh graduate talent through exposure to rich technical on-the-job work experience to equip them with practical industry experience, which will then position them favorably for employment opportunities after the programme.”

    Shell/PETAN internship programme was conceived as part of the collaboration roadmaps to support efforts at closing identified gaps in the availability of competent manpower in critical disciplines like Geology and Engineering, in the oil and gas industry.

  • ‘Why govt established graduate internship programme’

    Lagos State government has said its Graduate Internship Programme provides an equal opportunity to all graduates, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds.

    Speaking with Southwest Report at the side lines of the induction of the state‘s Graduate Internship Programme (GIS), the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr Babatunde  Durosimi-Etti said Governor Akinwunmi  Ambode established the programme in order to provide  a credible international programme for  Nigerians who want to start careers.

    The goal of the Internship Programme, he further explained, is to offer successful candidates an opportunity to improve their skills as well as experience working in a functional work environment.

    GIS, Durosimi-Etti, noted, provides the beneficiaries the needed skills to integrate into a more competitive job market.

    According to him, the Lagos State government is ready to implement a transparent programme and provide an example of best practices in inclusive employment development that can be replicated internationally and promoted to partners as an example of inclusive employment.

    Despite that the government is running its party agenda, the Commissioner reiterated that the governor is determined to ensure the process of selection of beneficiaries continues to be transparent, non-religious and non-ethnic.

    The policy stance, according to him, is recognition that if Lagos wants to expand its capacity further, it must leverage the attractiveness of its massive, national employment market. In order to achieve this strategic goal, he maintained that greater investments in the country’s precious human capital will be needed.

    Speaking later at the forum, the commissioner said unemployment is a general problem and there must be a partnership between governments and the private sector to address it.

    According to him, the selection criterion for the interns was rigorous; non-biased and one that ensured that the participants represented various backgrounds.

    He explained that they will undergo a three-month internship programme that will ensure that they are well acquainted with the working environment and become competitive in the job market.

    Durosinmi-Etti expects the programme to grow next year. The programme will also include a stipend for the participants.

  • 41,161 benefit from Fed Govt’s graduate internship scheme

    The Project Director of the Federal Ministry of Finance’s Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), Mr Dennis Chukwu, has said 41,161 graduates have so far benefited from the scheme since it started in 2013.

    The scheme trains graduates on job creation and employ-ability skills over a period of 12 months during which they are attached to various firms and are paid some stipends.

    Speaking during a Career Development and Entrepreneurship Skills training facilitated by Faziya Global Resources for interns and firms’ representatives that just concluded their training in Cross River, he said 68 per cent of them are male, 31 per cent female and one per cent vulnerable.

    Chukwu who was represented by Project Director, GIS, Mr Dare Odunlade, said, “Over 35,000 have exited the scheme, with thousands of them having secured jobs. Many have secured credit facilities and grants (including YouWiN! Grant) to expand businesses they set up using GIS stipends and many have set up cooperative associations, some of which have transformed into SMEs. Rather than seeking for work, they are now becoming employers.

    ”As government, we can boldly say that the purpose of setting up the GIS, which is for unemployed graduates to acquire employable skills, is being achieved. It is also my hope that some years down the line, the GIS interns will galvanize different sectors, especially the non-oil sectors, which are the new focus of the Nigerian economy.”

    Also at another GIS orientation training for new intakes into the programme, facilitated by Econometrica Consultants Limited in Calabar, Head of Operations, GIS, Akubo Adegbe, explained, “They run for 12 months and exit the scheme. For those that have finished the programme, a lot of them have been employed by the organization where they are working. Others employed by other organizations based on the skills, which they have learnt. Some of them have set up their own businesses. This is an orientation and employability skills training. Our message to the graduates is that they have an opportunity that other Nigerian graduates do not have, to be an intern for 12 months and earn N30, 000 per month. They should make use of that opportunity and not abuse it.”

    Dr Mahmoud Muktar Saidu, Econometrica Consultants Limited said the aim of the programme is to prepare graduates to be self-reliant to equip them with the necessary skills of setting up their own businesses.

    ”It is for them to understand their environment, especially the economic environment of Nigeria. So we make sure this graduates understand it is not the sole responsibility of the government to provide every single employment that the Nigerian economy requires. These graduates have various skills that are untapped in them. The aim is tap such kinds of skills. Make them aware of it. The programme is intended to make them employers,” Saidu said.

    A beneficiary of the programme from Obubra local government area, Mr Igot Enama Enama, expressed gratitude foe the programme and urged the government to continue and make it better. He called for support of all Nigerians for the present administration in the country to succeed.

  • Technical teachers laud internship at Slot

    Two weeks of internship at Slot Systems Limited, a mobile phone merchandise firm, came to an end for 20 technical college teachers on Monday.

    They were exposed to electronics training at the company under the Teachers Industrial Work Experience Scheme (TIWES), an initiative of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, to update the practical knowledge of teachers of the five Government Technical Colleges (GTC).

    Under the scheme, the teachers spend some time during the long holidays in firms related to their fields to brush up their knowledge to improve their delivery in the classroom.

    At the onset of the event at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Executive Secretary of LASTVEB Mr Olawumi Gasper said the board recognised that the teachers needed to interact with practitioners in the private sector to keep them relevant, especially as the students they teach also get exposed during their industrial attachment.

    “This is the third in the series of industrial training we have had for teachers.  For the past eight-nine months these teachers have been in the classroom.  But we believe we should expose them to new technology.  We cannot do this alone as government.  The private sector is the pivot of technology.  They have made the investment.  It is the private that absorbs the students after graduation.  What the teachers learn during the internship would be translated to the students,” he said.

    Director, Technical Vocational Services, LASTVEB, Mr Laolu Oguntuyi, said the scheme is mandatory for teachers because it helps bridge the gap between the colleges and the industry.

    “We discovered that there is a mismatch between the industry and the colleges.  To bridge this gap, we must move closer to the industry,” he said.

    Chief Executive Officer of Slot Technologies Mr Nnamdi Ezeigbo praised the state government for revamping Technical/Vocational Education (TVE) because it provides students with skills  to start up businesses without capital.

    He said that was how he started his business without capital – by offering computer repair services.

    “The importance of vocational training in any society, especially an emerging society cannot be over emphasized.  One major problem in Nigeria is that SMEs have problem with startup capital.  But if you have sound technical knowledge, the startup capital will be the least of your problems,” he said.

    Training Coordinator for Slot Mr Collins Uwadia said the teachers were responsive during the two-week internship and equipped with skills relevant to the mobile technology business.

    He was optimistic they would perform better back in the classroom.

    A participant, Mrs Mabel Omojake, said she learnt a lot and urged the government to provide the equipment needed to practicalise what they learnt during the internship.

     

     

    “It was a good one for us as teachers.  It was something that we really value.  I want to appreciate the government for this initiative and urge them to make it regular for us.  I also appeal to them to provide some of the equipment we used to learn because it would help us teach the students,” she said.

     

  • Carmudi unveils internship opportunities at TEDxUnilag

    Carmudi unveils internship opportunities at TEDxUnilag

    Carmudi.com.ng, Nigeria’s online vehicle market place which offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find their choice cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles, online, has unveiled internship opportunities.

    Founded two years ago, the firm is in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Zambia.

    It recently partnered with the TEDxUnilag team bringing the renowned TED event to the University of Lagos while also offering internship opportunities to the students. This partnership is in conjunction with other AIG ventures Jovago and Kaymu.

    The TEDxUnilag, which had event has theme: Breaking Through the Box, had over one hundred undergraduates in attendance as well as speakers who had distinguished themselves in areas such as Technology, music, drama, spoken words, finance and management.  The event took place at the Julius Berger Hall of the University of Lagos.

    Christian Keller, Managing Director Carmudi Nigeria announced the internship opportunities in Carmudi, Jovago and Kaymu. He said: ‘’This partnership with the TEDxUnilag event and the internship offer is part of Carmudi’s efforts to create a well balanced team of talented, dynamic and  highly motivated leaders. This internship will provide the interns the opportunity to learn firsthand what it’s like to work with an online company startup company.”

    Oluwatosin Adeshokan, TEDxUnilag founder and Organising Committee member, said: “We put together this event to offer the Unilag community an opportunity to share its passion and ideas with communities in Lagos and the world.”

    The independently produced event, operated under a license from TED, was organised by community volunteers and is aimed at creating dialogue as well as giving people a forum to share their passions, ideas and experiences.

    The event is sponsored by Jovago, Carmudi, and Kaymu, among others.

    Partners include Young and Cerebral, College to Communities, lArtsandAfrica, and Stand to End Rape and to apply for the Internship positions, people are advice to send a mail to careers-ng@africainternetgroup.com

  • PZ chemistry challenge winners begin internship

    PZ chemistry challenge winners begin internship

    The top four winners of the inaugural edition of the PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge have begun their three-month internship with the company.

    Emmanuel Ejiogu Onyekachi of Miketoy College, Ikotun, Lagos State, who won the inaugural edition of the competition last year, said he has learnt a lot as an intern.

    “I feel so much joy in my heart. I have confidence in myself and proud to be here because what I have been taught within this short span cannot be quantified. This training has geared me not just participate in similar competitions but to win them as well as be a first class student at the university,” said Onyekachi, who now wants to become a Chemical Engineer.

    Second runner-up in the competition, Mgbemena Thank God of Leeland International College, Oregun-Ikeja, is also having a time of his life improving his understanding of what he was taught in school.

    “I just have to thank God I am part of this success story and likewise express my profound gratitude to PZ Cussons for having such a wonderful initiative to encourage young scholars to understand the basis of what they are being taught in the classrooms and put them into good practice,” he said.

    The other two interns are Obi Uchenna David of Barachel College, Ifako-Agege (first runner-up); and Victor Ike-Okoro of Top Grade Secondary School, Surulere (third runner-up).

    The quartet completed their secondary education this month.

    Pieter Stroek, Head of Research, Development and Innovation at PZ, said during the training, the interns would work on several projects.

    Mrs Yomi Ifaturoti, Corporate Affairs Director of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, said the internship is in line with the overall objective of the competition to deepen their understanding of the subject.

    “When they go back to school, they can fall back on what they had learnt during their practical training,” she further said.

    This year’s edition has been renamed the Premier Chemistry Challenge, after the Premier Toilet bar, a brand of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc.  It is open to SS2 and SS3 public and private school pupils in Lagos.

     

  • Niger Delta varsity gets internship centre

    Niger Delta varsity gets internship centre

    The Niger Delta University (NDU)has launched Nigeria’s first Internship Centre at a seminar entitled: Blending Academic Pursuits with Career, Entrepreneurship and Workplace Development.

    The Internship Centre based at the university’s entrepreneurship facility, will provide on-campus internship to all final year students in entrepreneurship and vocational skills.

    The Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Humphrey Ogoni, stated that the goal of the centre was to ensure that students of the university graduate with two certificates; one in the chosen field of study and the other in entrepreneurship. The centre will also equip students for the competitive job market.

    The special guest of honour Dame Didi Walson Jack, the Hon. Commissioner of Science, Technology and Manpower Development in Bayelsa State in her speech, stated that the Internship Centre was an improtant platform for ensuring that graduates are employable and also become employers of labour.

    The centre is supported by Afrigrants Resources and will be implemented as a Public Private Partnership initiative.

  • Jonathan a president on internship, says ACN

    Jonathan a president on internship, says ACN

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday described President Goodluck Jonathan as a trainee-President.

    In a statement in Ilorin, Kwara State capital by its National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered how else one can describe the administration’s lack of capacity to be pro-active or respond in a timely and robust manner to the recent catalogue of woes and national calamities.

    In the opinion of the party, the continued bungling of the Boko Haram insurgency, which is harvesting more deaths almost on a daily basis, the unstoppable carnage on our roads, the executive somersaults of the administration on policy issues, and in general the slow, unfocused and uncertain responses of government to issues depict a government on internship.

    According to the ACN, the closure of the Lokoja-Abuja highway which had cut off Abuja, the nation’s capital city due to flooding of roads and bridges on the Abuja-Lokoja highway signposts the extent of our decayed national infrastructure and exposes the incapable hands entrusted to salvage them. However, even worse is the fact that the President has not deemed it fit to comment on this disaster, neither has there been any visit by a minister or any co-ordinated response to the disaster from the central government.

    On a week-end of multiple disasters such as the Lokoja flooding , the bomb blast in Bauchi, and the two weeks of non-stop flooding all around the country, the President’s handlers showed more concern in informing the people about President Jonathan’s trip to the United Nations General Assembly summit than explaining or proposing a co-ordinated response to these calamities, the party said

    The disposition of Jonathan’s administration to the welfare of Nigerians confirms the widely held belief that the welfare or well-being of Nigerians is definitely not a priority to his government otherwise why could the President not find time to visit even by helicopter the disaster zones to at least give hope to the victims or their relations? the party queried.