Uzodimma raises bar for SkillupImo Cohort 2

Plans partnership with NABTEB, Cisco, Hauwei, Microsoft

Following success of Cohort 1 of the SkillUpImo Project, Governor Hope Uzodimma is targeting no fewer than 10,000 youths in Cohort 2, which kicks off on Friday.

The maiden edition’s success, The Guardian gathered, spiked interest and rush by Imo youths for admission into available 10,000 slots of Cohort 2.

The  Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Dr. Chimezie Amadi, confirmed that Pre-Admission Assessment had been conducted for over 15, 000 prospective trainees.

Already partnering Zinox Group, the state plans to partner Cisco, Hauwei, Microsoft and other tech companies, as well as the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) for certification and value optimisation, the programme will cover various shades of digital skills.

Amadi said: “Unlike in Cohort 1, we had to conduct Pre-Admission Assessment to enable us to sieve the huge size of prospective trainees and ensure that only committed learners are admitted. We learnt a lot in the course of managing Cohort 1 and the introduction of Pre-Admission Assessment is one of the ways we intend to improve our processes to meet the programme’s objective and achieve results.’’

“Going by the extent of work we have done, with respect to process re-engineering, Cohort 2 promises an enhanced learning experience for both learners and instructors.”

He further explained why the project is dear to the governor’s heart. “Governor Uzodimma places high premium on the SkillUpImo Project due to its potential in achieving the triple objectives of positioning the state as the digital skills hub of Africa, tackling youth unemployment, as well as diversifying and building the state’s digital economy.”

For Cohort 2, admission of successful applicants is scheduled to start on March 29, while orientation for new intakes will hold on March 31.
Four additional learning centres have been established to complement the existing centres at the Ministry of Digital Economy and E-Government’s office, Imo State University and Alvan Ikoku College of Education to enhance access to digital skills learning for youths across the state.

The additional centres include Federal Polytechnic, Nekede; Imo Polytechnic, Omuma; University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo; and K.O. Mbadiwe University, Ideato.

During the graduation of 5,000 participants in Cohort 1, Uzodimma had stated that more of such engaging programmes would help to eradicate banditry and other forms of insecurity in the state, as more youths will be gainfully engaged.

At the event, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, described the programme as a shift from creating job employees to producing job employers.

He encouraged Ndi Imo to leverage the digital revolution era to build a knowledge-based economy like the United States of America, China and Japan, whose economies are driven by digital innovation and economy than by natural resources.

Commending the governor, who he said deserves to be called “The Digital Governor”, he challenged Imo youths to invest in critical thinking and take advantage of the programme for the emergence of another Mark Zuckerberg from Imo.