FG targets 50, 000 graduates employment

The Federal Government has targeted 50, 000 graduates for empowerment under the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).

Project director of the scheme, Dennis Chukwu, gave this hints at a Carrier Development and Entrepreneurship Skills training organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance in Awka yesterday.

Mr Chukwu who was represented by Mr Kefas Hosea, Chief Operation Officer of the Federal Ministry of Finance, said that 43 participants within and outside Anambra were under-going a 3-day training.

According to him “This scheme had demonstrated high prospects for achieving the social protection and inclusive growth objective of government,’’ .

He said that 41, 616 graduates nation-wide had benefited from the scheme since the inception in 2012, with 68 per cent males, 31 per cent females and one per cent vulnerable persons.

he further said that over 35,000 had exited the scheme, with thousands of them having secured jobs.

“Many have secured credit facilities and grants to expand businesses they set up using GIS stipends and many have set up cooperative associations, some have transformed into Small Scale Enterprises,’’ Chukwu said.

He assured that the scheme would continue to improve the capacity to absorb more applicants.

Mr Elija Aroh, a consultant and also one of the resource persons commended the Federal Government for establishing the scheme aimed at making the unemployed graduates self-reliant, innovative and enterprising.

He said that the participants were expected to develop an action plan that will guide their next few years of life.

Aroh said that the scheme had helped young Nigerians to be creative, dedicated and effective for the task of national development.