Saint Kizito Catholic Church, Iju, Lagos working in collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Lagos office recently in a well-attended ceremony graduated 262 parishioners and others that participated in a three months training.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Parish Priest, Rev.Fr Sebastian Ngene stated that the decision to organize the event was hinged on the urgent need to cushion the current rate of unemployment in the country by getting the people empowered with skills that can make them self-reliant.
Continuing, the Catholic cleric urged the graduating students to put the knowledge gained to use as it is only such action that brings the objective of the programme to fruition.
Ngene, therefore, charged the participant to surmount every obstacle particularly that of inadequate capital by engaging on productive collaboration among themselves,
On his part, the National Directorate of Employment state coordinator, represented by Mr Kolawole Useni, head of the department, Vocational and skills department admonished the graduates to appreciate both the opportunity as given by the church, the training received and the knowledge gained.
Similarly, Barrister Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, the Executive Director, Spaces for change told the participants that if they view the certificate handed to them as a mere paper, it will be a piece of paper. But, if they see it as power, it will obviously become a powerful instrument that will transform their lives. She finally encouraged them to be disciplined and deliberately start small businesses as a form of managing the unforeseen risks..
Details of the three months programme as released by the church and NDE reveals that; 34 participants were trained in Agro-allied department, 60 in Beauty Therapy, Catering 86, Tiling/POP 28, GSM repairs 27 and Event management 27.
Earlier, the church had as part of her effort to get the participants exposed to a different business organized a four-Saturday business development- a programme that brought together resource persons from different fields/backgrounds to lecture the participants.
It could be recalled that Fr.Ngene while working as the Parish Priest of St Michael Catholic Church, Ketu, Lagos had organized a similar programme where about 144 parishioners were trained.
