Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
No fewer than 144 trainees of Ogun State Entrepreneurship Skills Acquisition Programme have graduated from the programme designed to enhance technological skills of young university and polytechnic graduates.
The one year training and technological empowerment programme was organised by the state government, in partnership with Foreign Trade and Investment Services Africa (FTAISA).
Addressing the graduate trainees at the graduation ceremony, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Onijanganjangan, Abeokuta, on Saturday, the Coordinator of the scheme, Cliff Ogbede, urged them to join government in reducing unemployment by making judicious use of the vocational training received to create more jobs for teeming Nigerians.
While congratulating the graduate trainees for their resilience and successful completion of the training, Ogbede, said they had been adequately trained and tutored on how to confront challenges and be a robust entrepreneur solving problems of unemployment all around them and adding great value to the society.
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He further charged the graduands to go and impact the world for good, disclosing that some of them would be sent on internship both locally and internationally for further training.
Ogbede equally appealed to them to always be good ambassadors of Ogun State and the skills acquisition programme wherever they find themselves.
He, however, said that because the training programme was done in partnership with over 200 years old Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine, the certificates issued at the end of the programme is well recognised all over the world, noting the certificate could open diverse doors of opportunities for the trainees.
Ogbede, therefore, lauded the governor of the state, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun for approving the training programme and his passion towards providing specialised skills for manpower development, job creation and economic growth, urging him not to relent in embracing programmes capable of taking people away from poverty.
In his remark at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Sports, Mr. Isqeel Aboaba, represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr. Sola Oduntan, congratulated the graduands and the team of dedicated trainers, saying the state government would soon launch a website that would not only serve as data base for the unemployed but where the employers can also visit for recruitment.