Jacquelines ‘Yemi Odiadi (nee Samuel) is a Principal Partner with Samuel J.O & Associates, Attorneys, Company Secretaries and Arbitrators, that is professionally, she said “And I have a passion and I express myself through the platform of a Not-for-Profit Organisation known as “Developmental Support Institute”(DSI).

Our focus is on the women and youths, training them through knowledge based vocational programmes like shoe making, soap making, how to make local arts and crafts etc in additional to soft skills like leadership, market and marketing, money management, team building, importance of cooperative societies with the sole purpose of making them financially self-reliance.

Background…

Leaving school and facing life for me and my generation, “the difference was clear”. I don’t want to brand any soft drink’, but there was a sharp difference between school life, textbook cases and the realities of life. Now it’s better because some schools will prepare you for what is out there.

Some students even become entrepreneurs before they leave school, they now grow it after leaving schools or suspend it awhile to have a taste of corporate world and then go back to what they are passionate about.

But for me, I speak for myself, so I believed everything I read in the textbook, to go from stage to stage, part one to part two, three and four and then come out to look for a job for a short while, but it did not happen like that, so I was unprepared for that.

But I had friends and family who now said, look why don’t you organise yourself, this is what we have noticed about you, tailor your energy towards that direction, that was the counsel I received from my family and friends about the path to take.

Initially yes, one was unprepared for the challenges of life, but in life you learn fast, even the Bible says, the righteous falls seven times and rise seven times. Actually I went through that process of falling and rising, yet I kept to my focus.

Anytime I felt low in spirit, I had family and friends to encourage me that I’m blessed with because I always have people, not those who give me money, but who were able to hold my hands at my low moments.

Employment growth…

For me if an employee seeks to earn a promotion, he or she must be such a person that is ready to share my vision and passion. For an employee to rise on the job, he or she has to understand the job and the expected outcome; how his unit output connects with other units, to other departments and then to other branches so as to meet service or production targets, management and overall company objectives. It’s when companies are meeting targets you can talk of promotion.

The question an employee should consider is, what activity are you undertaking to achieve results? Are you just working because of the financial reward? Such person will find it difficult to rise.

Developing yourself on the job through studies will keep in tune with modern technologies necessary at the work place. An employee must be ready to acquire new knowledge that improves productivity and sharpen your responsiveness in the company. For an employee to be competitive, he or she must never be tired of learning.

So, when you are focused, definitely you will add value and valued added makes you rise either in the corporate world or in other field of endeavour.

Skill and certificate…

Our society is certificate-oriented and that is why people go any length to acquire a certificate. Many certificate holders today did not earn it and that is the reason why we have many unemployable graduates everywhere in the country. They purchased it for money.

Our educational system has broken down. We still parade old knowledge in the class rooms and lecture halls. The issue has to be addressed. How often do lecturers, teachers go for refreshers’ courses.

What about research methodology ? There is no funding for research, government shy away from it because it is expensive forgetting the long term benefit it will add on the school system.

This days it is difficult to analyse acquires data effectively. The system needs complete overhauling, a wholesome approach before we get good results.

We need to embark on consistent and systematic development of human resource. Not every society may have oil, but they have human resource. So what you input in human being is the output you get in the larger society.

There is need sincere commitment to human capital development for us to compete the rest of the world and grow our economy; retain employers and investors.

Unfortunately we are not seeing much of that in Nigeria today, thereby forcing investors to shift base to Ghana and other neighbouring countries.

My advise to modern day Nigerian youths is that your destiny is in your hands, by so saying I am not encouraging militancy but advising you to be your best own friend to EARN your destiny. Seek knowledge from time to time in order to add value to your organisation and yourself in particular.