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Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo Olu on called on youths in the state to take full advantage of various on going free vocational and entrepreneurship skills development programmes to develop themselves and become relevant in the nation’s economic redevelopment plans and the 21st century global digital economy.
The governor, who gave the advice at the Agency for Mass Education’s vocational graduation ceremony for 119 trainees of Igbo Oluwo Vocational Training Centre, Ikorodu, noted that it is important that youths in the State should maximise the benefits of various free vocational training and entrepreneurship skills development programmes provided by his administration to learn a skill that would make their services essential and enable them to contribute their quota to the on going economic redevelopment plans, rather than waiting endlessly for a white collar job.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Special Adviser on Education, Barrister Tokunbo Wahab, noted that various empowerment programmes embarked upon by his administration targeted at youths were aimed at giving them opportunity to develop their potentials while they use their newly acquired skills to change their economic fortune and contribute to the economic growth of the society.
” Fundamentally, our various free vocational and entrepreneurship skills development programmes are aimed at developing the potentials of our youths to make them relevant in the 21st century global digital economy and make them employers of labour rather than job seekers while they contribute to the on going national economic redevelopment plans, this we believe as a Government will address this issue of youth restiveness, reduce crimes and other vices capable of undermining development efforts across the country,” Sanwo Olu stated.
While congratulating the 119 trainees of Igbo Oluwo Vocational Centre, the governor disclosed that a total of seven hundred and three trainees have successfully completed their Vocational Competency Development Training Programmes across the seven Vocational Centres in State. He urged them to let their newly acquired skills impact positively on the economy of the State and the nation at large.
He added that plans were on ground for beneficiaries of various entrepreneurship skills and Vocational programmes who meet government requirements to be assisted through the Lagos State Employment Trust Funds to secure start- up capitals for their businesses, urging other people who are still roaming around to seize the advantage of free vocational training to register for a particular programme in their neighbourhood and become entrepreneurs.
Earlier in her welcome address, Director, Agency for Mass Education in the State, Mrs Oluwakemi Kalesanwo noted that the free training had remained an avenue for addressing the issue of poverty in the society, adding that some of the beneficiaries who were fast learners had started making money right from the vocational school with their newly acquired skills.
