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41,161 graduates benefit from government internship scheme

By Anthony Otaru, Abuja
22 September 2016   |   2:22 am
About 41,161 graduates have benefited from the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).

Graduates-1

About 41,161 graduates have benefited from the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).

The scheme facilitator in Ogun State, Abubakar Orumah, made the disclosure in Abuja, recently, while reviewing activities of the programme in the state.

The GIS, which is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Finance, commenced in October 2012, as a social safety net component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), with a mandate to provide short-term employment for graduates.

Orumah said that 60 participants graduated from the programme in Ogun on September 3, after 12 months of internship and were presented with certificates by the supervising ministry.

He added that the certificates were in recognition of the participants’ skills during the programme, adding, that the scheme was initiated by government to assist young graduates to become employers of labour rather than job seekers.

“So far, 41,161 graduates have benefited from the scheme with 68 per cent of them being males, and 31 per cent females, while one per cent of the beneficiaries are vulnerable persons. Over 35,000 have exited the scheme, thousands of them have already secured jobs,” he said.

He added that many have also secured credit facilities and grants to expand the businesses they set up using GIS stipends, while many others have also set up cooperative associations, some of which have transformed into SMEs.

“The programme presents an opportunity for graduate interns to gain employment in organisations where they worked, and in other establishments or self-employment,” Orumah added.

He noted the scheme had demonstrated high prospects for job creation and social protection of the youths since its inception.

Orumah, who is the Director of Abusanigo Global Concept, a consulting firm based in Abuja, urged the participants to use the opportunity of the internship to face the challenges and attendant curiosities of life.

He commended the public, private and non-governmental organisations that had over the years demonstrated their commitment to Nigerian youths by agreeing to partner with the scheme, and hosting graduates for 12 months.

He also urged the graduates to join hands with the government to achieve national development, assuring that government was working hard to ensure that unemployed graduates acquired skills which would make them employers of labour.

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