Business
Train Harder Perm Sec Urges Youths
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Employment Generation and Empowerment, Hon. Monday O. Ekekentah has charged Rivers youths to be more focused in their studies cum trainings to enhance their employment.
Hon. Ekekentah, who stated this in an exclusive interview with The Tide on Wednesday, said most times, people are unable to defend their qualifications during interviews for employment.
“By our position as a ministry we give employment and also empower the youths, but we found out that many of them cannot defend their paper qualification during interviews.
This is sometimes embarrassing because when we get requests from companies to send people for employment, only to be told that the people we sent did not perform well. It tends to put question on our judgment.
“This is why the youths need to concentrate more in whatever they study so that they can defend their qualifications anytime they are called upon”, he said.
While noting that the function of the ministry is to generate employment opportunities and to empower the youths, he stated that currently the ministry is registering unemployed youths, from which the ministry will make its selection when there is a vacancy for employment.
Also, counseling the youths, the coordinator of Able Seamen, Motor men/Oilers in the Ministry of Employment Generation and Empowerment, Mr. Lawrence Bereiweriso called for patients on their part.
He explained that the Rivers State Government has provided various opportunities for employment, saying that all they need is “the patient to be able to key into the available opportunities which include trainings”.
According to him, there are opportunities at the Ministry of Education through the provision of scholarships for those who want to study, and at the Ministry of Agriculture, where they could be trained in various skills of farming.
“If they the (youths) do not fit into one area, they can fit into another area. All they need is the patient dedication, and diligence to undergo the rigours of training”.
Mr. Bereiweriso stated that currently 40 youths of Rivers origin are undergoing various trainings related to the Maritime sector in Lofoten Maritime College, Norway.