Vocational Skills Empowerment for 50 Plateau Youth

by Strategy and Innovation for Development Initiative

Project Report | Nov 18, 2020
Report on Vocational Skill Empowerment Program

By Patricia Okolo | Operations Manager

Provided vocational skill training on bead-making, catering, cosmetology, wire works, and leather works to 50 unemployed youths in Jos, Plateau State.

Project design and objective were relevant in Plateau State, Nigeria, youth and teenagers are facing the most hardships and lack of belongingness within the society. In Bulbula Community constitute a big chunk of the population, yet they remain the most subjugated and marginalized. The difficult circumstances that they face are limited opportunities for education and skills training, viable employment, health, and social services, and because of a growing incidence of substance abuse and juvenile delinquency is deteriorating the chance of the community’s quest for achieving the status of a developed community. Their imagination, ideals, considerable energies, and vision are essential for the continuing development of the societies in which they live.

The project was effective as it trained 50 unemployed youths on bead-making, computer literacy, leather works, wire works, and cosmetology. Participants were divided into separate groups based on their area of interest, most participants started businesses with skills learned.

Resources were used efficiently, as items were bought at the cheapest price with high quality. The project is sustainable as those trained will train others in the community.

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Jul 21, 2020
4 weeks of training before COVID-19 Shutdowns

By Hussaini Tabacco | Project Coordinator

The vocational skills empowerment program, aimed at providing young men and women with the necessary skills to lift them and their dependants out of poverty, has held four weeks of training so far.

First week - general orientation of the participants, in the second week, participants were divided into various groups based on their areas of interest. This saw the division of the participants into leather work group, Cosmetology, computer literacy group, Catering and beads making class.
Second week - each group made a formal introduction of the rules guiding each group and the identification of the various tools and instruments to be used.
Third week - intensification of the practical sessions in all the groups. The method employed is interactive and practically based. Participants were given opportunity to ask questions where they need more clarification and also involve in practical training.
Fourth week - special treat by the catering group. The entire participants, facilitators and supervisors enjoyed the potatoes delicacy.

After that, and due to the growing cases of COVID19 infection in the country, the empowerment program was put on hold. It's been three months since the lockdowns across the country and we have been given the go-ahead to restart the project if we can meet the following modalities. While doable, meeting these criteria will add some unexpected costs to the project.

MODALITIES FOR RESTART OF THE PROGRAM
With the relaxation of the guidelines aimed at coping the spreading of COVID19 in the country and state of implementation, the following have been identified to help keep every participant safe as the program restarts.

The compulsory wearing of facemask by all participants.
Strict adherence to hand washing and use of hand sanitizer by all participants.
Strict observance of physical distancing.

The proposed date for the restart is 20th July, 2020 and the training will run for additional three weeks with the presentation of certificate to deserving participants in the last week.

ITEMS NEEDED FOR RESTART
ITEMS UNIT PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL
1. Hand Sanitizer 5000 1 5000
2. Hand Wash 2500 1 2500
3. Bucket 3000 1 3000
4. Face Mask 150 70 10500
Grand Total 21000

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Mar 26, 2020
50 Participants Selected for Skills Empowerment

By Hussaini Tabacco | SI4DEV Partner

SUMMARY
This vocational skills empowerment project was designed to target our teeming youths and teenagers, with the aim of equipping them with entrepreneurship skills such as Beads Making, Cosmetology, Leather works, Catering, and Computer literacy.

INTRODUCTION
Nigeria and the North in particular are characterized by deep structural challenges that have created vulnerabilities and push toward conflicts and rising violence. Poverty has been growing and deepening over the past decade, while inequality and conspicuous consumption of the rich, with doubtful source of funds, is creating anger among the people. Northern Nigeria has the highest population growth rate in the contemporary world which has created a huge youth bulge confronted by unemployment and underemployment. The family is in crisis and high poverty levels have created a significant push factor leading to poor families stepping away from their responsibilities for good parenting. In addition, the rise of new religious movements has affected socialization and religious education within the family creating crises of values. Meanwhile, social cohesion and family life are being torn apart by a serious and growing problem of drug addiction.

METHOD OF SELECTION
Interviews were conducted with 70 candidates and only 50 participants were finally selected. Majority of the selected participants were generally young people, which is also related with the aim of the project that limits candidates within specific age group. Also, most of the selected participants have no previous formal vocational education. This implies that majority of the participants had no vocational experience which made the selection process difficult. But with proper consultations of various stakeholders and community leaders (seeking for advice and support), in other to ensure successful and hinge free process. Hence, we were able to select 50 committed participants.

DURATION
As it was clearly stated in the project proposal, training programs will last for two months (8-weeks) as the case may be. The first week was dedicated for orientation while, six weeks for lectures and practical (Mondays -Tuesdays) and the last week for graduation of the participants.

PROGRESS
So far so good, all has been placed in right position. Orientation and classification of the participants held on 16th March, 2020. It was obvious that we have attracted support from various concerned authorities, and we have already kick-start project.

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