[dropcap]M[/dropcap]rs Gloria Okonkwo Onyekachi, President, Gloria Okonkwo Onyekachi Foundation(GOOF) has called on Ibusa women to embraced skill acquisition. Mrs Onyekachi who made the call on Saturday in Ibusa during a skill acquisition awareness programme Tagged “OUR WOMEN NEEDS A SKILL ” charged youths to embrace skill acquisition so as to curb unemployment and create entrepreneur.
Mrs Onyekachi, represented by Bishop Chiendu James,The General Overseer , End Time Reconciliation Ministry, said that the Gloria Okonkwo Onyekachi Foundation was desirous of reducing youth unemployment through youths empowerment and job creation stressing that “this is why we have embarked on Skills Acquisition sensitization in our various quarters across the town in curbing criminality and creating entrepreneurs” adding “We will continue to support skills acquisition programme to reduce unemployment, we will also provide Starter Packs to graduate students to enable them start their enterprise. ”
She applauded the organizers for the sensitisation programme and reiterated the commitment of her foundation in the reduction of unemployment rate in the town, while urging the students to look beyond their certificate.
The Publisher of Newsbreeze Magazine, Comrade Ike Abiagom who was one of the Speakers noted that the World at the moment is no longer in the era of certificate but ‘Sabificate” and having a skills will showcase you to the world and also save you from financial slavery. He also noted that the objectives of the entrepreneurship awareness programme was to sensitise students on the need to acquire skills while in school, adding that it was also meant to grow a new generation of Entrepreneurs from among students even before graduation. We are appealing to the foundation to continue this empowerment because the biggest economic challenge in Nigeria today is youth unemployment. Unfortunately, our current educational system has adverse effects on the mentality of the graduates that we produce; they have a job seeker’s mentality. It is my conviction that Skill Acquisition holds the key to solving our unemployment problem. Skill Acquisition offer highly technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education to enable graduate youths function as wealth creators and job creators, in addition to giving them employability skills.
The Gloria Okonkwo Onyekachi Foundation under the watch of Bishop Chiendu James is committed to reversing this trend because no meaningful national development can be achieved by any nation without sound and qualitative technical education. He strongly believe that the future lies with technical/vocational education, not certificate acquisition. our country cannot shy away from issues of unemployment and under-employment, like any other developing country, despite determined efforts of governments at all levels. The best thing that can happen to our youths and others in need of jobs is to acquire skills that will bring succor and hope of sustainable engagement for regular income”.
Technical education and Skill Acquisition is a cardinal programme of Gloria Okonkwo Onyekachi Foundation because we believe that until we get our targeted 5,000 youths to acquire the requisite technical and vocational skills, we are not building a future for the youths.
By: Ike Abiagom