The Nation Newspaper

Tag: VOCATIONS

  • 4,592 Lagosians acquire vocations

    4,592 Lagosians acquire vocations

    Two retirees – Mrs. Majekodunmi Bolanle, 66 and Mrs. Kuburat Animashaun, 64 – have taken up new craft to keep their hands busy and refresh their minds.

    The grandmothers voluntarily enrolled at the Lagos State Skill Acquisition Centre in Agidingbi to upgrade their skill set, picking up a new vocation in computer operations and software.

    The senior citizens were among the 4,592 trainees graduated by the Lagos State Government yesterday in various skill acquisition courses. The Year 2022 graduation was held at the LTV Blue Roof in Agidingbi.

    The graduands took the vocational training in 19 skill development centres across the five traditional divisions in Lagos. The course fees were borne by the State Government.

    The skill development programme was supervised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA). Some of the vocational courses taken by the graduates include photography, textile making, catering and hotel management, hairdressing, fashion designing, welding, aluminum fabrication, leather work, furniture and woodwork, among others.

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the initiative was targeted at empowering the grassroots, while giving young people an opportunity to discover their innate potential and to be economically engaged.

    He noted that the life skills would help the beneficiaries to be self-reliant, just as their entrepreneurial abilities would be enhanced and make them contribute to the economic growth of the state.

    The governor said: “There is no gainsaying that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of any economy, contributing to economic development and prosperity in many ways, chief among which is job creation and providing employment opportunities for people.

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    “We have continued to encourage vocational and skills acquisition as a pragmatic approach to alleviating poverty and promoting women and youth empowerment for financial sustainability. This administration will not hold back investment in these programmes, believing firmly that lifting people out of poverty is the cardinal goal of Government.”

    Sanwo-Olu advised the graduands to use the skills to raise their living standards, urging them to pass on the knowledge to empower their neighbours.

    The governor told the trainees to believe in their abilities and strive for excellence, pointing out that the road to success had no shortcut. He added that the training was made free for them to remove barriers that may hinder them from acquiring the skills.

    Sanwo-Olu said the State Government created the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to support the goals of MSMEs, urging the graduates to approach the offices for business support and opportunities.

    “We set up the Ministry of Wealth Creation to hand-hold entrepreneurs and provide support for them. LSETF is another agency working to improve your business. You must show commitment that you are ready for the future. We want to see you in the next five years and be proud of this accomplishment you have achieved today,” the governor said.

  • Ashafa trains 120 in vocations

    No fewer than 120 people from the Lagos East Senatorial District have sharpened their vocational skills at a five-day Entrepreneurship Seminar/Skill Acquisition Training.

    The programme was oraganised by the Senator representing the district ‘Gbenga Ashafa in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

    Speaking when the curtain dropped on the at the weekend, the senator said training was in line with his commitment to empower many people with self-sustainability.

    He said: “Considering the economic challenges that Nigeria has experienced in the past few years, and the effect on majority of Nigerians, we were faced with two choices.

    “The first being whether to sit down and complain about the decline in the availability of jobs, or the second, being for us to square up our shoulders and face the challenge with a view to key in into the diversification drive of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, by acquiring entrepreneurial skills and contributing our quota to the rejuvenation of our economy.

    “Obviously, we have adopted the more sensible second option and I am pleased to say that we are already seeing the benefit.”

    The participants were trained on phone repairs, laptop repairs, general electronics repairs and catering.

    Lauding Ashafa for creating the opportunity, the participants promised to set up a co-operative society to enable them enhance their chances of a successful start-up business.

  • Foundation graduates eight in vocations

    Eight of the beneficiaries of House of Rammah Foundation vocational training have graduated.

    The event, which held at Ororo Event Centre Ikotun Lagos, witnessed the graduands receiving working tools. Their vocations cut across sewing, fashion designing, bead making, tie and dye, among others.

    The founder of the foundation, Adisa Risikat Adeola, noted that 24 vulnerable children are under the foundation’s payroll.

    Adeola said: “When I was young, I was denied the opportunity of acquiring education owing to financial constraint. Little did it occur to me then until when I grew up to realise that if I had acquired education at the right time, I would have been better off than who I am now.

    “What we do is to identify children from poor homes in the neighbourhood and look for schools around that will adopt them and cater for their tuition and other cost.”

    One of the partnering schools, Lasute Unique Kids School, Ikotun, said its vision tallies with the foundations.

    “Our philosophy also hinges on helping the less-privileged in the society. This is why we have adopted two children from the foundation- one in Basic 1 and the other in Basic III,” said the school proprietor, Olaitan Sunday.

    “We just have to develop the spirit to give back because it is a lifetime thing. When these children grow up and become better citizens, they remember the school that once molded them,” Olaitan added.

    Miss Ebenezer Aina, 22 and Miss Zainab Adegoke, who both graduated in hair dressing and tailoring, thanked the foundation.

    “I just finished primary school when they picked me up from the street,” said Ebenezer.

    Adegoke said she knew the founder when she (Adegoke) was a wanderer in the neighbourhood.

    “She lives in our area and saw us almost wondering. She asked me if I was interested in taking up a vocation rather than wandering around and I quickly obliged. That was how I started tailoring ad today I’m a graduate,” she said.

  • Youths trained in vocations

    Youths trained in vocations

    No fewer than 329 youths are relishing a new life, thanks to the vision of the chairman of Olorunda Local Development Area, Lagos State, Hon Abudu Amida.

    The youths were enrolled in a vocational training programme to learn various skills. Now, they have completed the training and the council has presented them with certificates. They gained the skills at the Engr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola Skill Acquisition Centre, Ibereko, Badagry Lagos.

    The graduates were trained in different departments such as beads and hat-making, hair dressing, computer engineering, fashion designing, desktop publishing and catering, among others.

    The graduation ceremony featured a special exhibition led by the council’s head of education, Mr  Olayiwola Adebayo.

    In his address, Hon. Abudu Amida said he was happy that that the council youths took advantage of this initiative. He said that the administration’s interest in investing in human capital development prompted the establishment of the skill acquisition centre “that we are witnessing the graduation ceremony of its successful candidates today.”

    He spoke further: “The need to engage our youths in productive venture cannot be over-emphasized. It should be stressed that with this programme we have succeeded in taking our youths away from the streets.

    “Since it is not possible for everybody to get a white collar job, as a proactive government we opted to create an alternative by establishing a standard skill acquisition centre for our teeming youths, thereby making them self-reliant.

    “I urge the all graduates to make judicious use of the acquired skills, contribute to the development of the LCDA and Lagos State in general. We are aware of happenings and events around the world. The economic challenges of great nations like Greece, United States and emerging economies such as China, India and Japan are examples of the how we need to start looking inward as we are creating means to survive. These few countries notably must have developed this same attitude to draw attention and create the enabling environment where people are taught skills, thereby creating employment.

    “We have to ensure that we are working in harmony with core values and principles because the youth are the systems which give a sense of meaning, moral and social purpose to the ways in which they can use their skills and knowledge, hence they also play an active role in the social-economic development of the community.”

    Hon. Amida encouraged the youths who have not taken the advantage of the skills Acquisition Centre to take a cue from the graduates.

    The council chairman said he is also focused and  dedicated to bringing change  to the council.

    One of the recipients of the professsional certificates, Miss Aisuedion Avis exclaimed: “This is exciting; I’m happy like many others.”

  • Youths trained in vocations

    Youths trained in vocations

    No fewer than 329 youths are relishing a new life, thanks to the vision of the chairman of Olorunda Local Development Area, Lagos State, Hon Abudu Amida.

    The youths were enrolled in a vocational training programme to learn various skills. Now, they have completed the training and the council has presented them with certificates. They gained the skills at the Engr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola Skill Acquisition Centre, Ibereko, Badagry Lagos.

    The graduates were trained in different departments such as beads and hat-making, hair dressing, computer engineering, fashion designing, desktop publishing and catering, among others.

    The graduation ceremony featured a special exhibition led by the council’s head of education, Mr  Olayiwola Adebayo.

    In his address, Hon. Abudu Amida said he was happy that that the council youths took advantage of this initiative. He said that the administration’s interest in investing in human capital development prompted the establishment of the skill acquisition centre “that we are witnessing the graduation ceremony of its successful candidates today.”

    He spoke further: “The need to engage our youths in productive venture cannot be over-emphasized. It should be stressed that with this programme we have succeeded in taking our youths away from the streets.

    “Since it is not possible for everybody to get a white collar job, as a proactive government we opted to create an alternative by establishing a standard skill acquisition centre for our teeming youths, thereby making them self-reliant.

    “I urge the all graduates to make judicious use of the acquired skills, contribute to the development of the LCDA and Lagos State in general. We are aware of happenings and events around the world. The economic challenges of great nations like Greece, United States and emerging economies such as China, India and Japan are examples of the how we need to start looking inward as we are creating means to survive. These few countries notably must have developed this same attitude to draw attention and create the enabling environment where people are taught skills, thereby creating employment.

    “We have to ensure that we are working in harmony with core values and principles because the youth are the systems which give a sense of meaning, moral and social purpose to the ways in which they can use their skills and knowledge, hence they also play an active role in the social-economic development of the community.”

    Hon. Amida encouraged the youths who have not taken the advantage of the skills Acquisition Centre to take a cue from the graduates.

    The council chairman said he is also focused and  dedicated to bringing change  to the council.

    One of the recipients of the professsional certificates, Miss Aisuedion Avis exclaimed: “This is exciting; I’m happy like many others.”