SURE-P Moves to Galvanise Different Sectors of the Economy
Abimbola Akosile In line with the Federal Government’s resolve to diversify the economic base of the country, the Graduate Internship Schemes (GIS) under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) has keyed into the non-oil sectors with a view to developing capacity and skills required to complement the oil and gas sector of the economy.
Speaking during an orientation training programme for interns and firms’ representatives in Lagos, the Project Director, GIS SURE-P, Mr. Peter Papka, expressed hope that some years down the line, beneficiaries of the Graduate Internship Schemes will galvanise different sectors of the nation’s economy, especially the non-oil sectors, which are the new focus of the Nigerian economy.
Papka who said the GIS programme will be yet another example that Nigeria will sell to the world as a way out of graduate unemployment, noted, “We believe that the skills and experiences acquired through GIS have placed you in a position to contribute meaningfully to the transformation agenda and the enhancement of national manpower development as well as the achievement of the national Vision 20:2020.”
Speaking further, Papka said the efforts of the present but outgoing administration to empower the youths and reduce the menace of unemployment has yielded positive dividends. He noted that all over the country and across all sectors, positive testimonies and encomiums have been pouring in from firms and interns that have benefited from the resourcefulness of the scheme, especially those that have been employed.
GIS, Papka said, is a component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) aims to provide the unemployed graduates youths with internship opportunities that will expose them to skills and experiences relevant to the current labour market as well as enhance their employability.
He noted that since the inception of the scheme, many firms and graduates have joined and while graduates are securing opportunities to develop their employability and business acumen, many firms have partnered the scheme to mentor the graduates.
“Out of the graduates that have served their one year term, some have moved on to other employment, while others have been employed by the firms they served”, he noted.
Papka said further that as a result of their success, the country is now witnessing the growth of many SMEs and cooperatives societies due to increased manpower, while some interns are using part of their monthly stipend to start their win businesses.
“22,000 graduates have been deployed with 68 per cent males, 31 per cent females and 1 per cent vulnerable. Over 2,000 have exited the scheme with over 500 having secured jobs. Some of the graduates have won YouWin grants to expand businesses they set up using GIS stipend and many have set up cooperative associations, which may transform into SMEs and rather seeking for jobs they are now becoming employers. And now government can boldly say that the purpose of setting up GIS which is for them to acquire employability skills is being achieved”, he said.