TETfund to partner industry on employment opportunities for students—Echono

TETFund, is starting a “learn to work” programme on campuses nationwide in collaboration with industry partners. The collaboration will provide outsourcing employment opportunities for students while on campus and even guarantee them permanent jobs after graduation. This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the Fund, Mr Sonny Echono, while playing host to the national leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in his office in Abuja. A statement on Tuesday by the Director of Public Affairs, AbdulMumin Oniyangi, quoted Echono as describing the initiative as a big programme that would soon hit Nigerian campuses.

“This programme will ensure that while you are doing your own academic programmes in various subject areas, you would be given an opportunity to be trained in various areas of ICT, and technology, and also be attached to global companies so that you can get outsourcing work while you are in school and you will earn significant income.

“So, for the students who are going to key into this programme which will be launched very soon on a national scale. We are supporting all the institutions to be able to create the conditions where these students are learning. Learn to work will provide opportunities for Nigerian students to be able, even in the course of their work, earn a living and to be guaranteed employment immediately they finish their school. It’s happening in Africa, it’s happening in Tanzania, Rwanda, it’s happening in South Africa, it’s happening in Egypt, Morocco and Algeria, ” he said.

He added that over 24 million Indian students were earning incomes from such initiative while in school.  He explained that once the scheme is launched, the partners would visit institutions and administer aptitude tests on students to select those who meet their criteria before engaging them.  He said the training would be in over 40 disciplines and that it would not be limited to schools in Lagos and Abuja but across the country.

On the Student Loan Scheme, Echono said it was borne out of the desire of the Bola Tinubu administration that no student should drop out of school because of economic circumstances facing them or their parents. On the power challenge faced by educational institutions in the country, the TETFund boss said the agency was engaging the Ministry of Power on how to tackle it. The National President of NANS, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, said the student body appreciates the efforts of the President in improving the welfare of Nigerian students, with the introduction of the loan scheme and the government’s engagement with university workers to ensure stable academic calendar. He gave the assurance that the students would not be tools of destabilisation in the hands of anybody or group.