Yay!! a good step for us.
The Ministry of Wealth Creation
and Employment,in Lagos State has commenced its internship training of 2,000 graduates in partnership with MacTay Consulting Limited.
The ministry also confirms that as part of the Graduate Internship Programme, the beneficiaries would gain work experience
and exposure in their chosen trades.
Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday at a breakfast meeting with stakeholders, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and
Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said the interns would be selected through
a transparent, accountable and inclusive process.
According to him, the government
understands the role the private sector plays in job creation and is leveraging the opportunity to address the employability
skills deficit among Nigerian graduates.
He explained that the three-month paid internship for graduates below 30 years
would prepare them for the work life and strengthen their professional and interpersonal skills.
Durosinmi-Etti stated, “We are creating an enabling environment. We are working with
the private sector to rekindle its trust in the government. We will mentor and guide them until they become more responsible
and stand on their own.
“Our target is to work with 2,000 interns this year. I see a lot of interest in the programme and if our partners want us to scale up, we will gladly do that.”
The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Mr. Akintunde Oyebode, stressed that the initiative was introduced out of the observation that there
was a gradual erosion of the cognitive skills of youths.
While explaining the selection process, the acting Head, Learning and Development Solutions, MacTay Consulting, Mr. Adeyemi
Adelekan, said graduates who had shown interest in the scheme would be subjected to an online psychometric test.
He added that candidates would be assessed and matched with employers after a rigorous selection process.
Adelekan said, “We designed a portal called workrelate.com through which stakeholders can view what is going on as
far as the internship programme is
concerned. Employers will state their specifications and suitable candidates will be selected.
“The interns will report on a monthly basis on what they are doing.”
The ministry said MacTay Consulting Limited and Human Capital Management Solutions
had been engaged to work with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and other members of the organised private sector to create employability outlets for prospective interns.
