BENIN CITY – It has been explained that the major thrust of the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) Orientation and Employability training is to bridge the existing gap between school and labour market.
This was made known in Benin City yesterday by the Project Director, Internship Scheme, Peter M. Papka during the opening lectures of the 4th series of lectures and training for unemployed graduates in Edo State.
Mr. Papka who was represented by Mr. Abubakar S. Jega, Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Finance, said that the training is an important milestone in the journey of the interns. He further said that it is a point of self discovery, actualisation as well as redefinition of their self-esteem; and therefore advised the unemployed graduates to optimise the benefit of the programme.
In his speech, the Managing Consultant, Morel International Consultants, Olorogun Lucky Oghene-Omoru who is also the chief resource person advised unemployed graduates in the country, particularly interns of the Federal Ministry of Finance-organised Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) Orientation and Employability training; to see themselves as major stakeholders and beneficiaries who should be desirous of building their capacity for the abounding opportunities guaranteed by the scheme.
Olorogun Oghene-Omoru emphasised among other things, the need for participants to have visions, ideal goals and foresights that must be vigorously nurtured to fruition through a well structured roadmap. He said GIS is one of the veritable vehicles through which the values required by unemployed graduates to realise their goals and visions could be acquired.
In the second lecture, Festus Eligbo, one of the resource persons enlightened both the interns (unemployed graduates) and the participating firms (employers) on the benefits of the programme. He explain the roles and responsibilities of the participants to enable them develop a competitive edge in the over saturated labour market.
In another lecture by Fred Onojeta, the interns were taught how to develop personal branding and improve their competitive skills. Mr. Onojeta urged them to always identify their strength and weaknesses. This he said, would enable them consistently take the advantage of adding quality values to their entrepreneurial capabilities in order to professionally distinguish themselves at all times.
Speaking to newsmen, some of the participants, Ogieva Elvis, Oise Judith, Abu Nana Fatima and Amos Ogieriakhi variously expressed their gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan for creating the programme. They emphasised that the values derived from the training programme would broaden their horizon for employability and their entrepreneurial capacities. They said that by the training, they are now very ready to contribute to the critical needs of the larger society, especially in the building of human capacity.
The training and lecture series continue.
