‘Formal education with relevant skills secures better future’

Nigerian students in tertiary institutions in the country have been advised to pursue relevant and essential skills along with their formal education to enable them to secure a better future for themselves.

Programme Specialist, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria, Bharat Kundra, made the call while interacting with students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) during a career seminar tagged, “Future X Unilever Campus Ambassador Programme (FUCAP), held at the varsity’s main auditorium.

Kundra, who expressed the readiness of the joint collaboration between UNICEF Nigeria and Unilever Nigeria to reach three million Nigerian youths and equip 700,000 with essential skills for the future workplace by 2026, said that as society evolves, the demands of the 21st century change require individuals to be strategic about the types of skills to acquire to sustain themselves in the uncertain future.

He said: “What we are doing today is an attempt to expose young people to certain skills along with the formal education. Everybody needs to go through formal education to become doctor, engineer and so on but there are certain skills that everybody needs along with the formal education.

“If young people have these skills, they would have a much more secured future no matter what happens, such as technological changes, climate issues, or earth disruptions like COVID-19. These skills will give them the opportunity to establish themselves successfully as professionals.”

Besides, he said that the initiative offers a plentitude of opportunities to the participants across 20 universities selected for the programme, adding that the three best universities would be rewarded on July 15, 2024, which commemorates World Youth Skills Day.

In his remarks, Head, Corporate Communications and Sustainable Business, Unilever Nigeria, Godfrey Adejumo, stressed the need for students of higher institutions to have other skills outside their formal education to make them get attracted to opportunities embedded in the current markets.

He, however, expressed optimism that the initiative would solve the unemployment challenges facing most graduates of today.

He also said that the students would be participating in four key programmes, such as career seminar, which would take three hours of engagement with over 3,000 students on how to develop soft skills, entrepreneurship skills course, work experience with select students for internship with Unilever Nigeria along with stipend and premium prizes.

Also, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Developmental Services, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, appreciated the intervention of the two firms for equipping the students with skills that would aid their careers.

She said UNILAG is concerned about training students who would be relevant to contribute to the developmental needs and human resources needs of the society.

The VC said that by partnering with the two organisations, the institution would leverage on impacting the entrepreneurial desires of the students to make them more competent and eligible for future opportunities.

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