Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin has trained 500 youths on entrepreneurship skills.
The training was held at MINILS campus, Ilorin, with youths drawn across the Six Geo-political zone in the country .
The Director General of MINILS, Ilorin, Mr Issa Aremu, said the rationale behind the training was to promote employability of youths in the country.
Aremu said beyond certificates, youths in the country need vocational and entrepreneurship skills for sustainable jobs.
The DG said the youths to be trained in Cinematography & Photography, Carpentry &Wood work, Tie &Dye to help instill in them skills to be self employed and even become employers of labour.
He said the institute organized the training to complement President Bola Tinubu 8- points agenda on Youths empowerment, job creation, economic growths and others.
“We are diversifying our training beyond traditional courses of maintaining industrial peace and harmony at workplaces to include massive job creation through skills acquisition.
“It is time for our youths to think beyond white collar jobs and add more value though their innate talents. That is the reason we are training and retraining them for a better employability.
“We want to ensure youths have the skills that when they leave school,they become employers of labour and also become employable,” he said.
The Director General who also disclosed that the skills acquisition was in line with new Labour, Employment and Employment Programme (LEEP) recently unveiled by the Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Nkiruka Onyejeocha adding that the selection process was inclusive of female participants and youths living with disabilities.
Aremu also noted that with the workshop, the Institute was set to exceed its baseline Key Performance output of 1250 participants trained annually within the Ministerial deliverables from r actualization of President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda recalling that recalling that the first phase of the programme in Tailoring and Garment Making and empowered with sewing machines held last October.
Aremu called on the government to create enabling environment for business to thrive in the country by providing support and equipments needed by entrepreneurs and artisans.
He added that a functional political economy is needed for the success of such programme, through an enabling environment for ease of skills acquisition and provision for adequate funding to enhance its success.
He also added that the institute would partner with NITDA, ILO, SMEDAN and other private organizations to continue to empower the youth in the country.
He, however, advised the participants to take the training serious and be focused through out their 5 days training program.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LUBCON, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, also advised the participants to embrace the opportunity and learn new skills.
Ibrahim advised the participants not to rely on their certificate alone and tap into the training program to move towards greatness.
“There is no knowledge is waste. This is a big opportunity to learn new things as a youth. Never stop trying to learn new skills. It will become a big advantage to you, “ he advised.
Engr. Ibrahim, congratulated the Institute’s Management for the wonderful initiative, describing it as “a major development that must be supported”.
The Lubcon Group Chairman, while calling for more government support as a means of reducing unemployment in the country, pledged to gift a token to the top participants in each of the three training areas at the end of the programme.
He further described the beneficiaries as lucky and charged them to take the opportunity very seriously.
Also speaking, the State Controller of Labour Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ilorin, Mr M. B. Orodiran, commended the efforts of the Institute’s Management in providing relevant vocational training for youth in the country and called for partnership with relevant agencies as a means of providing support to the beneficiaries.
The Ag. Head of Department (HOD), Entrepreneurship Development Department of the Institute, Mr. Ajayi Adeyemi advised the participants to be focused and use the experience aquire in training to turn things around.
Adeyemi urged the participants to be good ambassadors of the country and not be selfish.
“Don’t be lazy. You are in your productive age. Grab the opportunity and explore,” he said.
Olusola Akintonde
