Governors advised to emulate Lagos on ‘Ready Set work’ project

Governors of 35 states in the federation have been advised to create a scheme similar to the ‘Ready Set Work,’ RSW, project of the Lagos State government.

Final year students in tertiary schools in Lagos State including the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka; Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo and the Lagos Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, Ikorodu plus three others gave the advice last weekend at a sideline of the internship fair organised for them as part of activities to wrap up their 13 weeks RSW’s training programme.RSW is an entrepreneurship and employability initiative of the Lagos State government designed for graduating students in the five state-owned tertiary institutions and UNILAG to sharpen their knowledge, skills and attitudes ahead of graduation.  And the career fair is to avail them possible internship placement with companies across sectors that are partnering the state government under the scheme.

The students, 1,500 in all, said the knowledge and skills they had acquired under the scheme, which enters its second edition this year, have really reshaped their thinking and perceptions about the world outside school.

They said what they were exposed to and taught during the training were practical things to make career success either as salary earners or self-employed and would want other state governors to replicate the scheme, which is free of charge, in their respective states because of it multiplier effect.

Earlier in his address, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, told the students that they had no excuse to fail in whatever legitimate path and career they choose with the right and quality knowledge and skills they had acquired through the scheme.

He noted that unfortunately, only about 1,000 internship slots were available to fight for by all 1, 500 participants, saying the companies have sole responsibility of who to choose based on their performance during interviews.

He however told journalists at a sideline that majority of the students were trained to become self-employed and employers of labour rather than job seekers and that state government was ready to finance those with outstanding small and medium enterprises’ projects among them.

 Sunday Nwakanma – Umuahia