The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has advised corps members to apply skills acquired during their orientation service after the programme to become employers of labour.
Mr. Tony Ekirigwe, Head of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, Gombe State office of the NYSC, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday.
He said that the entrepreneurship programme was introduced by the Federal Government for corps members to empower them to become self-employed and job creators.
“It is to make them change their orientation from pursuing white-collar jobs , but becoming entrepreneurs after the service year, especially, now with the current economic situation’’, he said.
According to him, obtaining certificates is not enough for them to earn a living; rather they still need to be taught how to be self-reliant.
Ekirigwe said that with the current economic situation if they applied their skills, they would be successful in life.
He said that some of the corps members had started earning money based on the skills they acquired in camp before the end of orientation course.
Ekirigwe said the corps members were taught various skills such as: poultry farming and animal husbandry, bakery, soap-making, fashion design, laundry service, information technology and auto mobile.
“We want to empower them so that they can start thinking of what next after the service year; to start their own jobs and employ others.”, he said.
He also called on the corps members to utilize the service year to think of what they would do thereafter
He further called governments and wealthy individuals to give financial assistance to the corps members to that they could contribute to the development of the state and the nation. (NAN)
Corps members advised to apply skills to create employments
