SURE-P trains 100 Graduates during Orientation Training for Interns and Firms' Representatives In Anambra

The Federal Ministry of Finance, Graduate Internship Scheme (SURE-P GIS) yesterday trained 100 interns in Anambra state.

The vice chairman SURE-P Anambra State, Mr. Michael Mbata announced this during an orientation and training section for interns and firms ' representatives targeted principally at interns, and firms that would engage them after the training.

www.odogwublog.com reports that Mbata said there are new and interesting opportunities in Agriculture, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Power, Construction, Health, Environment and Sanitation as well as financial literacy and Inclusion that the graduates would take advantage of.

He however said many interns were already taking advantage of these opportunities and are contributing to the enhancement of manpower in these sectors and at the macro level contributing to the achievement of the National Vision 20:2020.

He said because of their belief that a shared vision with their partners would enhance the benefit the scheme provides not only for the interns but also for the firms, especially the small and medium enterprises.

He stated that for the firm representative, the training provides windows for staff assessment, official etiquette, staff management/development through structured mentorship and other critical lines, which are necessary for the growth of any firm.

The GIS project Director; (SURE-P GIS) Mr. Peter Papka called on the participants to seize the rare opportunity to better themselves and society at large.

 Papka, said the essence of the programme was to bridge the  gap of lack of requisite experience and commended the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), whose primary mandate was to develop the capacity of the intern within 12 months.

www.odogwublog.com further stated that apart from the mentorship the interns receive from their employers, GIS conducts orientation training to acclimatize them to the workplace noting that for  the interns, It would provide them an important milestone in the internship journey, a point of self-discovery and a redefinition of self-esteem as well as the beacon to self-actualization.

Declaring the training open, the GIS project Director, Mr. Peter Papka represented by Dauda Madaki said the Federal Government came up with Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme (SURE-P) to provide critical infrastructure and social safety nets.

He noted that it made a deliberate attempt to create a critical bridge that will enable the Nigerian graduate cross from graduation to the workplace with ease.

He said the gap had been responsible for the claim that the graduates are unemployable even as he said because they had few skills and no experience to enable them hit the ground running in the workplace.

He also said for the firms, the training will provide them a free opportunity for competency enhancement, capacity and management development and an opportunity to share ideas with other firms and even interns noting that the training would provide instruction on personal and team effectiveness, skills, etiquettes and ethics of the workplace, adding that adapting to the workplace, and career path development it also would involve financial literacy and inclusion and performance management.     

He said, “During the period of internship therefore, they have a chance to build a platform on which their future will rest. This, to a large extent depends on not just the skills and experience they acquire, but also the personal commitment that they exhibit to what they are learning.

“Commitment is important because as individuals, we have 75% responsibility for whatever we become in life. Consequently we must take responsibility for our actions in order to fulfill our destiny. I therefore urge that you seize the opportunity you have on this scheme to break forth into the fulfillment of your life.

Also speaking GIS  auditor, Mr. Opara Ejimofor called on interns and firms to take full advantage of this and be the change agents in your various organizations.

He urged both interns and their employers  against abuse of opportunity provided  by the scheme noting that some bad eggs on both sides had attempted to defraud the scheme through unethical practices.

He re- affirmed government's commitment to the scheme and urged that both firms and interns should justify this gesture for the betterment of the country.