9,387 graduates benefit from internship scheme

The Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) under the Federal Ministry of Finance has trained 9,387 graduate interns with 1000 of them securing jobs or having started their own businesses, the Director of the Scheme,  Peter M. Papka has said.
 
Represented by the South East Team Leader and Media Officer of the programme  Tochukwu Ikezue, he stated that the GIS has contributed immensely to the renewed growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and cooperative societies through increased competent and skilled manpower with 25,186 graduates deployed of which 68 percent are males, 31 percent females while one percent is vulnerable.
 
The Director was addressing participants at the GIS “Orientation and Employability Skills Training for Interns and Firms Representatives” held in Enugu.

The event was organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance Graduate Internship Scheme.
He explained further that from registration figures on the GIS portal 13,781 firms across the country have registered to participate in the scheme with 305,780 graduates who have also registered, noting that “this is encouraging as it shows great confidence in the program from both firms and graduates.” 

In order to consolidate on the successes recorded so far and in line with federal government’s resolve to diversify the nation’s economic base , he  said  the GIS has keyed into non-oil sectors with a view to developing capacity and skills required to complement the oil and gas sector of the economy.
 
Papka, said the GIS aimed to provide the unemployed and underemployed graduate youths with internship opportunities that would expose them to skills and experiences relevant to the current labour market and enhance their employability.

The Coordinator and Business Officer of the scheme, Rita Orajiuka said Enugu has contributed over 400 graduates in the scheme, stressing that federal government pays stipend for each intern in the course of being mentored.
 
“It is a noble idea that we have started in Nigeria, we are trying to sell the ideals to some other African countries. The programme started in 2012 by the former president of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan as a subsidy re-investment programme.
 
“The Scheme has helped us expunge in them the I don’t care mentality and positively engage their minds. Instead of pinging and watching films after serving Nigeria as corps members they should explore the opportunity of the Graduate Internship Programme and train themselves.