Enugu Government has set up Enugu Youth Empowerment Scheme (e-YES), an innovative initiative, aimed at accelerating the future success of youths living in the state by offering them digital skills training.
The scheme is an initiative of the Enugu SME Centre, under the Enugu Human Capital Development Loan Programme, and as it rolls out, thousands of youths are expected to be trained and empowered with digital skills in areas such as: advertising, digital marketing, internet promotion, SMS marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), PPC, and analytics.
Others skills in the scheme include mobile advertising, email marketing and content marketing.
The scheme, according to the Enugu SME centre, is open to all Enugu State youths and jobseekers that have interest in acquiring digital skills.
“The programme provides participants with training loans, certificates and jobs within the private sector to repay the loans later.
“Upon completion of the training, participants will be placed on jobs and within an agreed number of months are obligated to pay back the cost of the training through their respective salaries. This way, they cannot only contribute to the economic development of Enugu State and Nigeria at large, but funds can be recycled to train other youths,” the centre said.
Speaking on the initiative, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said: “Our commitment in developing human capital and ensuring businesses thrive is reflected in our World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking, which moved from 27th to 3rd.”
In line with his principal, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, special adviser, SME Development Head, Enugu SME Centre, said: “Human capital development is important in improving and enhancing the quality of life of the people as well as the private sector ecosystem.”
Chilo-Offiah said they are high-income skills that would enable trained youths to thrive in today’s digital-first world become innovative entrepreneurs and strategic valuable assets to Enugu State and the international community at large.
Speaking on their readiness to deliver quality training, Abasiama Idaresit, CEO, Wild Fusion Digital Centre, said the outfit has an international certification and validation to deliver quality digital marketing training and job placement for the participants of the programme.