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SURE P trains interns on workplace challenges

By Gbenga Salau
31 March 2015   |   1:56 am
TO ensure that interns deployed to various organizations in Nigeria make best use of the advantage offered them through the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) of the SURE P, the Ministry of Finance, the supervising ministry of the programme last week held a three-day orientation programme in Ota, Ogun State. The training was meant to equip the interns with the needed skills and information to function well in their place of operation.

UNILAG PIXTO ensure that interns deployed to various organizations in Nigeria make best use of the advantage offered them through the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) of the SURE P, the Ministry of Finance, the supervising ministry of the programme last week held a three-day orientation programme in Ota, Ogun State. The training was meant to equip the interns with the needed skills and information to function well in their place of operation.

The interns, about 100 of them, draw from different locations in Ogun State, were lectured on the employee-employer relationship, work place ethics, personal branding among other topics. However, before delving into these topics, a brief talk was provided on why the Graduate Internship Scheme was created and the impact the government hopes it would make, especially in building new set of entrepreneurs and check unemployment in the country.

The speaker highlighted the importance of skills and having relevant skills in building a strong economy noting that many are unemployed because they do not have skills. He also talked about the importance of mentorship in making a success of an entrepreneurship drive arguing that skill only does not drive entrepreneurship. He buttressed his point with the mentorship programme of the Igbo traders, noting that many of them are succeeding as entrepreneurs because of the mentorship programme they go through before starting their own business.

The Coordinator of the training programme in Ota, Ogun State, Mr. Terry Odali giving insight on why the training was put together, said that it was about equipping fresh graduates and making them industry ready; that is giving them the basic tools and skills on how to manage the challenge of work place. “This is why the training is tagged employability training for graduate interns,” he added.

According to him, the training is important because often times graduates do not know which way to go and even when some of them are fortunate to find themselves in a job place, most employers do not have time to give fresh staff that rudimental training that make them comfortable in the work place, except they play along with colleagues in the work place. “So, it is those small, small tools, to refresh the mind of the graduates and to rediscover themselves. Though some of them have read a course in the university different from the skill nature has endowed with, which they could use for the good of the society and themselves. “Somebody may have read Chemistry in the university but nature has endowed him with public relations skill. And he may not discover that.

But when they are exposed to trainings like this, they begin to probe into their inner being and look at the opportunities in the natural skills they are endowed with.” He disclosed that though the last batch was the second set of interns to be trained, there would be a follow up training to consolidate on the first round of training, meant to keep them relevant to the society and work place. Odali commended the Federal Government for establishing the internship scheme. He described the programme as a wonderful one because of what each participant stands to gain from the training and the scheme. He maintained that the programme would give them a fresh mind and new direction in life.

The Principal Partner, Tuns and Partners Farm, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mr. Edun Tosin, whose organization has 17 of the interns participating in the training also applauded the government for coming up with the internship programme. According to him, his organization decided to key into the Graduate Internship Schemen because of the need to collaborate with the government to check unemployment rate in the country. “This is because looking at the rate of unemployment in the country, there is need for the private sector to come in and assist the government.

And one of the ways is for us to accept these interns. Being an agricultural farm, we are in the better position to absorb more and impact more agricultural skills on these interns. This was why we had to come in and we are taking large numbers.” He further said that interacting with the interns has been very useful, because it has given the organization and its management the opportunity to equip these interns with agricultural skill. “They are not graduates of agriculture but with the internship, they are getting knowledge on farming and it has helped majority of them to make up their mind that they could be self-employed.” Tosin said that the scheme is an excellent one. “It has really been encouraging, as we had been looking forward to partner with youths. And since this government came up with this project, we keyed into it.

This is the second set of interns that passed through our farm, the first batch were 21.” He said that his organization does not plan to retain any of the interns because it empowers them to start a business of their own. “We do not believe in retaining. We link them with finance houses to get loan to finance their projects; that is our philosophy.” One of the interns, Rachael Odususi, a graduate of Zoology, University of Ibadan, sharing her experience, said that the internship scheme is a very nice concept because she has been exposed to a lot of experience making her a well-rounded individual. “I am learning to relate with people, which is helping me to build my network besides getting myself familiar with work ethics.

So this scheme is preparing me to be more employable,” said Odususi, who is having her internship with Silver Rock Global Service, Shagamu. Also, Soneye Ganiyu Olanrewaju, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology and Olubukola Olamide a graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, also applauded the government for setting you the GIS programme. They also felt the special training, was good and complementary of the internship scheme.

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