SURE-P, GIS set to train 3,600 on ICT Infrastructure and soft ware for public and private schools

The federal government will through the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) train not less than  3,600 interns across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria on ICT infrastructure and deployed as ICT soft ware technicians in various public and private schools in the country.

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Head of operations, GIS, Mr. Akubo Adegbe revealed this yesterday in Awka, Anambra state capital at a feedback session with the interns and employers aimed at ascertaining the work status, welfare and the relationship between the interns and their employers in the state.

Adegbe also stated that the scheme has recorded success with about 13 percent which represents 32,124 graduates from the south east while the South West ranks highest with 33 percent and North West, lowest with 14 percent interns trained.

“About 213,602 graduates are currently registered on the scheme nationwide and 20,809 interns have been deployed as direct beneficiaries of the scheme. In Anambra state, 289 interns have been trained on employability skills and deployed to various firms.

“We have also registered 11,436 firms on the scheme and from the figure, we recorded 317 firms and organizations from Anambra state which represents about 11percent of the total figure” he said.

He further explained that the feedback mechanism with the graduates will enable them fine-tune strategy for implementation, adding that the skills and experiences the interns acquire through GIS have placed them in a position to contribute meaningfully to federal government’s transformation agenda and enhance National manpower development.
The GIS Media officer, Mr. Toochukwu Sagacious Ikezue, who presented an address on behalf of the  Project Director, Mr. Peter Papka, pointed out that involving private sector to be part of governance is the major trust of Jonathan’s administration, saying that the employers of labour requires certain minimum skills from graduates in order to employ them.

He maintained that the support and testimonies of interns around the country will go a long way in actualizing the clamour by Nigerians to sustain the scheme beyond 2015 by developing a National Policy to guide its implementation.

Beneficiaries of the scheme from Anambra state,  commended federal government for evolving policies that will help them actualise their potentials while describing the scheme as the first of its kind where the federal Government captures youth agenda in their policies by addressing youth unemployment in the country. 

Some of the beneficiaries, Ibezim Chiamaka, Ezeiruka Loveline, Okoli Chibuike  and Francis Arinze pour encomium on President Goodluck Jonathan, even as they called for its sustainability beyond 2015 and as well urged the Federal Government to allocate more interns for Anambra state to be at par with other States.

Another intern, Nwankwo Njideka Rose regretted that she is being owned three months stipend and appealed to the authorities concerned to clear the interns’ areas while calling for other Nigerians to queer into the vision by voting president Jonathan in 2015 as that, according to her, is the only way to sustain the programme.

Two employers, Prof. Ben Ufodike and Dr. Jeff Okeke advised the interns to use the opportunity provided by the scheme to strengthen core skills with potentials to enhance their employability.