By Correspondent in Abuja
The cause toward reducing poverty,making life better for students and check drop outs, among others in the country, got a boost on Friday when an NGO, Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF) commenced Young Entrepreneurs Club Abuja Project (YECAP).
The Reporters gathered that the NGO, which also has Chateko Vocational Institute (CVI) to enhance the realisation of its aims and objectives, aims to train and empower 100 students and drop outs in the FCT.
Towards this end,LFM Executive Director, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, disclosed that at the occasion, that the NGO had commenced training and equipping youths and women with vocational and technical skills for improved livelihoods and productivity.
She expressed optimism that the efforts of her NGO would go along way in reducing poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.
Osikoya, therefore,unveiled a six-month Co-curriculum on Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) skills for Entrepreneurship and Employability for 31 students of Junior Government Secondary School (JSS), Pyakasa in Lugbe,FCT.
She said the aim of TVET project was to cultivate and engender interest in entrepreneurship in young people, build their leadership skills, maximise their potential, identify skills and expose them to career paths.
According to her, the first batch of 31 students were selected, out of 100 participants of the free scalable training which would run during school period, weekends and during holidays from July to December 2021.
The executive director further revealed that 100 beneficiaries comprised 31 Senior Secondary Students, 30 JSS students and 39 school drop outs/ teenage parents were enrolled for the training on garment making and catering trade craft.
She also told the audience that the foundation had acquired and displayed sewing machines and several equipment for catering training for empowering the beneficiaries, adding that they would be connected to practising artisans and were expected to showcase individual projects in exhibition, during graduation.
Osikaya said the training became necessary due to high number of out of school children while most children in schools aspired for white collar jobs, and often, completed basic education without vocational skills.
She noted that completion of JSS 3 should be an issue of concern to all, against the background of robust education policy provision which stressed the need for children to acquire vocational skills.
The LMF boss explained that to achieve its specific objectives,the YECAP needed the support of wide array of stakeholders through donation, sponsorship, material and expert skills support.
“The YECAP is designed to ensure participants become ready market, coupled with employable skills at the end of six months, in line with National Business, Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) Modular Skills Syllabus.
“The National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) launched in 2018 provides policy framework for equating informal and non informal education but sensitisation remains limited.
“Stigmatisation of TVET is prevalent in many communities but the LMF presents credible platforms for effective sensitisation and advocacy, because it is designed to meet the requirements, ” she said.
In a remark, Mr Kashim Ali, Vice Chairman, LMF Board of Trustees, recalled that the NGO started operations in 2017 in Kogi state, following observed need for sustainable interventions in quality skills development for survival and gainful employment/entrepreneurship.
Ali disclosed that as a follow-up, it established CVI in 2018 and had constructed two functional vocational training centres in rural and urban locations in the state and trained over 500 people.
“It provides 100 per cent free training and accommodation for poor rural youths since its inception to improve livelihoods but sadly, the support scaled down due to COVID-19 impact on the NGO’s funding,” he noted.
Hajia Amina Abdullahi, the Principal of Junior Government Secondary School (JSS), Pyakasa, expressed gratitude to the NGO for considering the school worthy for its gesture for economic development.
Abdullahi, however, advised the students to utilise the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge trending, for self-reliance.
Some of the students expressed enthusiasm and joy, adding that they were overwhelmed by the privileged of being selected to participate in the training.
They promised not to disappoint the NGO as well as the school authority.
