The Ogun State Job Creation and Youth Empowerment Office in collaboration with German Cooperation DEUTSCHE ZUSAMMENARBEIT_ Skills Development for Youth (GIZ_SKYE) has trained over 600 final year students of different tertiary institutions in the State on employability skills, to give them soft landing at the competitive labour market.

 The trainings which include, writing of resumes and C.V, Job matching, writing of cover letters among others, took place at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Federal University of Agriculture, FUNAAB, Abeokuta and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta respectively.

Speaking in an interview with OGIS correspondent at the end of the three- day event, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, Mr. Abiola Odetola noted that the training was the first phase of the pilot programme and would be extended to other institutions in the State.

          Odetola explained that the programme was initiated to turnout well-equipped graduates with the needed knowledge that is employable in the labour market, saying the government is passionate to build the capacity of young people on basic soft skills that would keep them on the job in the 21st century.

           “The present administration is not only interested in youth that wants to build a career, but we are also training uneducated youths on skills and vocation, entrepreneurship and businesses which they need for survival”, he said.

In his keynote address, the Junior Advisor for GIZ_SKYE, Mr. Godwin Obhiyeghobu noted that Ogun is one of the five States benefiting from the intervention, towards increasing the prospect of youths between ages 18 to 35 years for them to be engaged in an income generating employment.

Obhiyeghobu explained that the SKYE programme falls under the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, noting that it started in 2018 and would run till 2023.

          In his lecture on Resume writing, the Head of Human Resources of Rovedana Consulting firm, Mr. Abel Egbemhumhbe explained that any employable person should have information about the organisation that wants to recruit, details about the desired qualification of applicants and description of the responsibilities involved in the role expected of the applicants.

          Reacting on behalf of the participants, the Student Union Government President of the Federal University of Agriculture FUNAAB, Comrade Oluwaseyi Ale appreciated the State government for the timely training which would help them to be better persons when they get to the labour market, appealing to the State government for more opportunities.