Prince’s Trust International, a British charity founded by King Charles III, has reiterated its commitment to partner with Nigerian firms to tackle unemployment in the country.
The Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, Will Straw, who disclosed this in Lagos, during a launch reception said that within 18 months of piloting the programme in Nigeria, it had been able to help young Nigerians acquire the right skills in securing the right jobs.
He stressed that 96 per cent of young people who had been through the programme had been in work within three months of ending the programme.
Straw further said that young Nigerians faced three major challenges in attracting the right jobs.
He said, “Skills gap: Over 10 million Nigerian children are out of school. Many more leave school early to start earning. Among those who complete schooling, many leave education without the skills to enter the workforce. A jobs gap: With far more job seekers than formal jobs, most young people in Nigeria work in the informal sector. An experience gap: Young people are told you can’t get a job because you lack experience, but can’t get experience because you can’t get a job.”
The British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr Ben Llewellyn-Jones, noted that the work of the organisation aligned with the overall interest of the commission in Nigeria.
He said, “So, this is very much in line with the ambition we have to ensure that more young Nigerians can get into jobs, get into employment, get into work, have decent jobs, decent well-paying jobs and be ready for the workplace.”
The President and Founder of Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, called for more support for the Prince Trust International to close the unemployment gap in the country.
In a message sent by King Charles and read on his behalf, he expressed satisfaction about the determination of the young people to achieve their goals despite the challenges.
King Charles, ” I am enormously inspired by the determination and commitment of young people, some of whom you will hear from later. They are change makers, they will shape the world’s future and we must support them to achieve their dreams.”
A member of the Africa Advisory Board, Aigboje Aig- Imoukhuede said the King’s commitment to building brighter future for young people is without question.
“As the founder of the Prince’s Trust, His Majesty’s passion and commitment are palpable. I am only too pleased to offer my voice and ability to convene and further build Prince’s Trust International foundations here.”
The evening also witnessed a time of networking and a panel to discuss the challenges faced by young people in overcoming the job seeking hurdle.
Earlier, the Trust in collaboration with Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) held a job fair which saw over 100 young people interviewing with different employers.
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