BY MUSBAUDEEN SEKONI

The rising unemployment rate in Nigeria which led the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to establish Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) has received the attention of applicants as  Subsidy Re-investment Programme, SURE-P, stormed Lagos for induction courses for the first batch of trainees.

Speaking during the induction in  Lagos, the Project’s Director of Communication, Dr. Peter Papka who lamented the rate of unemployment in Nigeria said the figures from the National Bureau of Statistics put unemployment at well over 16 million in the age group of between 18-20 years.

According to him, the Federal Government is more than ever committed to  human capacity development, particularly for the youths, adding that reducing unemployment is key to government’s realisation of its Vision 20:20-20.

Papka who enjoined the participants to seize the opportunity of the training to develop their skills towards gainful employment noted that at inception, only 50,000 applicants were targeted, but however disclosed that the number has risen  to over 8-0,000.

According to him, when the scheme was launched in October, 2012, its objective was to create an avenue for unemployed graduates to be attached to firms and organizations where they can work and gain experience for a year with monthly allowances.

He added that  the scheme creates an opportunity for inters to go into the firm, learn the technique in a working environment, build their skill within the sector where they have been deployed on the basis of their qualification.

His words: “The scheme would create an avenue to determine whether where you have entered is the sector that is suitable for you. It is also an opportunity for you to demonstrate to the firm that, yes, I have something to offer, therefore, I am worthy to be retained by the firm.

They get to enjoy free labour at government expense, they get to select the best intern to join their organization, and they get a cost free opportunity to render their corporate social responsibility, in addition to the plans to get tax rebate for companies within the scheme.

Since inception, about 120,000 Nigerians have been engaged in the labour intensive activities across the country and that by June 2013, about 65,000 in all Local Government Areas in Nigeria. It is a social subjective scheme designed to prepare them for employment because nobody would employ anybody who doesn’t have the basic requirement.”

Papka however stressed that government alone cannot solve the issue of youth unemployment, and therefore called on private organization to show more interests. He said the major challenge of the GIS is the low level of participation from private firms despite the benefit they stand to gain.