Organisation bridges skills, gender employability gaps

To bridge skills gap among young people and ensure that more young women are equipped for workplace, founder of MEG Consults, Eniola Peters, has organised a programme to help them succeed in their chosen career paths.

Founded in 2018, MEG Consults recently organised an employability workshop for youths in Abuja aimed at providing young individuals with necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the workplace. The session was attended by a diverse group of participants who were eager to learn and grow.

The facilitators at the workshop focused on several key areas including identifying personal strengths, writing effective resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews and developing interpersonal skills.

Additionally, the workshop incorporated practical exercises, group discussions and real-life scenarios to enable participants to apply the concepts learned in real-world situations.

To also address gender gap in employment, Peters said: “We include more women in our trainings and participate in meetings with stakeholders to design policies that addresses our peculiar discriminations, and with that, we are able to place women in roles that provides equal pay for equal work, support work-life balance, and promote women’s access to education and training. Also, our staff strength is about 90 per cent women.”

She added that the organisation’s approach to helping young people is holistic and personalised, taking into account each individual’s strengths, interests and goals.

“I am passionate about helping young people succeed. I believe that every young person has the potential to make a difference in his or her community and in the world. All they need is the right skills and opportunities. That is what we are providing through MEG Consults and the Employability Skills Initiative Africa,” she added.

On gender gap in workplace, she noted that, “it includes discrimination, cultural and societal norms, and the burden of unpaid care.

“What I have seen over the years in my line of work is that women are often paid less than men for the same work, and many aren’t given the opportunity to hold high-level positions or positions in male-dominated industries,” she said.

Peters is committed to creating opportunities for youths to gain practical experience. Through partnerships with local businesses and non-profit organisations, MEG Consults has been able to offer internships and apprenticeships toward creating a brighter future for the next generation.