WARRI-THE management of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Delta state has graduated another batch of 48 youths from her five host communities in various skills with starter packs worth millions of naira.

Managing Director of the WRPC, Mr. Simeon Itua Ehiemua who was represented at the closing ceremony by Chief Rapheal Amabebe, the Executive Director Services, EDS, told the successful graduates to put their various acquired skills into practical and profitable use, emphasizing that they have automatically become self- employed and employers of labour.

The MD who said their success story would spur the company into further training of more youths, charged them not to indulge in the unwholesome habit of selling their starter packs to the highest bidder, saying that “these items are very costly and meaningful for their successful take-off”.

The trainees who also went home with an undisclosed amount of take-off grant were trained in Auto-mechanic; Welding/Fabrication; Photography/Video Coverage; Hair Dressing/Barbing; Fashion/Textile Design and Catering and Hotel Management respectively, which course programmes lasted for between six- nine months.

The WRPC MD revealed that the company sponsored community skills acquisition programme which started since 2005 has so far produced 114 Community graduates who are in turn expected to train others in their various communities, even as he charged the host communities to continue to provide the needed conducive working environment for the smooth operations of the WRPC.

While thanking the management of the company on behalf of the host communities of Ubeji, Ijalla, Ifiekporo, Aja-Etan and Ekpan in both Warri South and Uwvie council areas of the state, Chief Victor Otomiewo urged the WRPC to increase their in –take of trainees from each community as the percentage ratio per community is not a very encouraging or edifying one for the company’s public image.