Finance Ministry Empowers Graduates on Entrepreneurship

The Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) has held three days orientation and employability training for interns and participating firms under the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

According to the ministry, the training was part of efforts to reduce the current alarming rate of graduates’ unemployment in the country, Speaking at the orientation training facilitated by Fittams Consults in Enugu, the Project Director, GIS, Mr. Peter M. Papka disclosed that it has become imperative for the interns under the GIS to be trained on employability skills, ethics and work etiquette, entrepreneurship and other capacity building initiatives.

Papka noted that government should be applauded for the recognition it gave the private sector as the major employer of labour, which according to him requires certain minimum skills from graduates in order to employ them.

Papka bemoaned the educational curriculum in the nation’s higher institutions which does not provide for the development of the need for the skills at workplace, which accounts substantially for why large number of graduates do not get employed. He said, “The thrust of the GIS therefore, is to partly address this problem by bridging the gap between school and labour market and provide the graduates with something to do and somewhere to go, while they continue their job search”.

The GIS chief noted that though the training was targeted at interns, “we believe that a shared vision with our partners would enhance the benefit the scheme provides not only for the interns but also for the firms especially the SMEs. For the firm representatives, this training provides windows for staff assessment, official etiquette, staff management/development through structured mentorship and other critical lines, which are necessary for the growth of any firm”. He therefore challenged the trainees to take full advantage of the training and be the change agents in their various organisations.

According to him, since fast tracking manpower development is a key focus of the Federal Government transformation agenda and a priority of the Vision 20: 2020, then interns should take full advantage of development their skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Power, Agriculture, Construction, Health, Financial literacy, and others which were provided for under the window of GIS.

He added that GIS was designed and introduced as part of the SURE-P for graduates to be placed in interested and demonstrated viable firms/organisations where they would be mentored and supported to develop or strengthen core skills with potential to enhance their employability.