The programme Skills Development for Youth Employment – SKYE, was awarded the “Most Supportive Partner” award by the Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Damian Lawani, during the Alaghodaro 2020 – Edo Youth Summit in Benin City on the. The award was a recognition from the State through the Edo State Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs).
During the youth summit, the EdoJobs Internship and Apprenticeship Programme (EIAP), a project supported SKYE was officially launched. The EIAP project will reach 450 beneficiaries by improving the skills and competence level amongst young persons in Edo State. It will also serve as a means of bridging the employability skills gap between work-life and institutional learning, and open opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to expand their workforce and in-turn trigger business growth. 450 youth will be selected and placed as interns in private and government organisations. The EIAP project expects at least 60% of the interns to find full-time employment after implementation.
Since 2019, SKYE has been in partnership with EdoJobs to promote youth employment and economic growth in Edo State. Over 290 youths have been trained in different sectors including construction and ICT. SKYE also collaborates with GIZ’s Programme Migration for Development (PME) to implement several technical and vocational education and training (TVET) training in the State.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, SKYE and PME implemented projects that enhance the social and economic reintegration of returnee migrants and increasing the employability of young people in the state SKYE. Over 135 beneficiaries were trained in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), fashion design, hairdressing, auto repair, and animal husbandry and livestock breeding. At the end of the training, all graduates received a professional certificate. They also received start-up kits and were enrolled in mentorship programme that will boost their employability in the labour market.
