FG Deploys 25,000 Unemployed Graduate for GIS Training

FG DEPLOYS 25,000 UNEMPLOYED GRADUATE FOR GIS TRAINING

 * 1000 already secured jobs

The Director, Graduate Internship Scheme, (GIS) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, P. M. Papka has described the GIS programme as contributing immensely to the renewed growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSs) and co-operative societies through competent and skilled manpower.

 The Director who was represented by Mr Chris Madubuike during the weekend 3-day training of graduate interns in Awka, Anambra state revealed that 25,186 graduates have already been deployed, 68 percent males, 31 percent females and one percent vulnerable. He said that so far, 9,387 have passed out of the scheme, with over 1,000 having secured jobs or started their own private businesses.

About one hundred participants benefitted from the internship training which was organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance through Micromab Consulting Services at the weekend in Awka, Anambra state.

 According to the Managing Director of the consulting firm, Dr Mike Bello, the 3-day training programme which was held at Jesse Hotels Limited, Awka was to find solutions to graduates and youth unemployment as part of government’s social responsibilities. He said that the Federal Government designed the programme in partnership with the private sector which funding would be from regular budget.

 Dr Bello noted that the interns would within the period which is going to be a regular feature learn employability skills to distinguish themselves from those who did not have the training and would be more useful to any organization that employed or were yet to employ them. He further noted that the aim was to improve the entreprenuership skills of the graduates so that at the end they would be employers of labour.

 “Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) is designed to meaningfully engage the unemployed and underemployed graduate youths with internship opportunities that will expose them to skills and experiences relevant to the current labour market and enhance their employability,” Dr Bello explained.

 Also in the team of the training firm were Dr Femi Sumaila and Mr Adedoyin Simeon. The beneficiaries of the scheme would, according to the consultants, be paid stipends as part of the measures to empower them.

 One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Miss Nwankwo Evyline, a graduate in Statistics who is already engaged with a pharmaceutical company said the scheme had done wonders in the lives of many graduates and appealed to the Federal Government to expand and sustain it.

 She said the programme had offered her good opportunities to acquire more skills in addition to what she studied at the higher institution.