Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa.
Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has trained 1,000 unemployed graduates on Employability Skills in Bayelsa State.
The 3 day workshop was aimed at equipping unemployed graduates with skills to acquire knowledge and create jobs.
The event which commenced on Monday, 30th May ended on Wednesday, 1st June 2022 in Yenagoa.
Speaking to newsmen, the Acting Bayelsa State Controller of Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Okpotunimibofa Joseph Subai, said due to the unemployment rate in the country, the ministry deemed it necessary to organize the training to enlighten the unemployed graduates.
Subai, noted that it is no longer feasible for government to provide jobs for every body which according to him has made it imperative the need to acquire extra skills, adding that the private sector is also an avenue for unemployed graduates to be engaged.
The state controller further assured that considering the level of training conducted, participants can easily secure meaningful jobs abroad, stressing that the ministry has equiped and exposed the unemployed graduates on how to become entrepreneurs and self reliant.
On how participants were selected, he said unemployed graduates were required to submit their CV’s which we recorded that formed the basis of datas and invited them to starts the training.
According to him” There was no special criteria,the only criteria was that you must be a graduate living withing Bayelsa”.
He advised participants not to take the skills they have acquired for granted, saying if well applied in their daily life it will place them in a good position to become productive.
Okpongu Hannah a participants from Sagbama revealed that since she graduated in 2017 she had no job, noting that the programme has further exposed her to start up a business and be a manager of her own.
“Since i graduated in 2017 no job but as I came for this programme, they taught me how to go for skills,how to be creative, how to be a manager and to start up a business since there’s no job for now” she said.
Okpongu further advised unemployed graduates not to be discouraged nor remain idle but rather start up a business no matter how small.
She further thanked the ministry for the programme which have become an eye opener to her and encouragement.
