Speaking at the Vision 2020 career and counselling workshop, which was organised by Vision 2020 YERI (Youth Empowerment and Restoration Initiative), Project Intern, Majemite Tobore, said the workshop was aimed at exposing the students to opportunities offered by technology, engineering and mathematics.
She explained: “The programme is a career-counselling workshop for senior secondary students in science classes. The Vision 2020 is focused on STEM because we believe that is where the jobs would be in the future hence the need for Nigeria to focus deliberate policies aimed at encouraging students to develop interest in.”
She added that the Vision 2020 YERI is different from the government Vision 2020 policy, saying the aim is to empower up to 100,000 by the year 2020.
“So far, we have reached about 83,000 students through all our empowerment programmes that include business training and summer school programmes. But this particular workshop programme has empowered about 30,000 students,” Majemite stated.
She noted that the programme is an acronym and not that it will cease to be in existence after the year 2020, which is about two years away from now.
Majemite hinted that the group relies on Facebook page and website as platforms to monitor the progress of the participants while efforts are on-going to establish an alumni association through which members would have access to internship and job opportunities.
According to her, schools that emerge first, second and third positions are given opportunities to attend a summer camp on STEM where experts are invited to teach the participants the emerging technology such as robotics technology.
On her part, the Project Consultant to Vision 2020 career counselling, industry awareness and youth empowerment programme, Dr Ibilola Amao, said the workshop offered a practical link between academics and industry opportunities.
Her words: “I am very glad that the state secondary school board has decided to collaborate with industry to make sure that students are exposed to the state-of-the-art technology, engineering and innovation solutions. We are also pleased that each of the schools came with their Junior Engineers and Scientific Club projects.
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