WARRI—THE Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, yesterday graduated 48 host community youths in its 2013 Skills Acquisition programme, with the aim of improving their standard of living.

Speaking during the closing ceremony at the company’s premises, the Managing Director, Mr. Paul Obelley, said the programme was initiated in 2005 and has trained 225 persons from its five host communities.
The programme was designed to empower the participants with the skills needed to become self- employed and self-reliant.

He stated that with starter-packs worth millions of naira given to each trainee, they would now be in a position to train others in their various communities and also become employers of labour.

His words: “The beauty of this programme is that participants do not have to worry about how to start up as WRPC management has provided them with the primary equipment required to commence business. Secondly, there is a large and ready market to consume your products and services.”