Vocational Skills Empowerment for 50 Plateau Youth

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.