In furtherance of the Delta State Government’s commitment to create jobs and wealth for youths through entrepreneurship, graduands of its Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) in Catering and Confectionery, and PoP-Painting and Screed-Making have received their starter packs.

The Delta State Government has introduced Apiculture in its Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP) in addition to Fish, Crop, Piggery and Poultry Productions in the 2020/2021 Cycle.

The Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer in charge of the Delta Job and Wealth Creation Bureau disclosed this innovation in a one-day Orientation and Farm Enterprise Training organized for 128 Brown YAGEP beneficiaries in Government House, Asaba.

The beneficiaries constitute those in livestock enterprises selected to benefit in the second batch of the 2020/2021 Brown YAGEP Cycle as Poultry, Piggery, Fish Production and Bee-Keeping (Apiculture).

Prof Eboh applauded them for meeting the criteria for selection in the programme, especially the 24 pioneer beneficiaries in Bee-Keeping and commending Comrade Sunny Ojenima for facilitating the inclusion of Bee Farming into the job creation programme.

He pointed out that the 2020/2021 YAGEP Cycle is the sixth cycle and that 1,174 youths have been trained and established in their choice enterprises either in Crop Production, Fish Production, Poultry and Piggery in the first five cycles.

He explained that a total of 286 YAGEP beneficiaries have been enrolled into the programme in this sixth cycle. He charged them to take the training seriously so as to acquire new skills that would boost their enterprises.

“Except those who turned the other way round, no beneficiary was trained and remained the same. The wish of His Excellency, the Governor is that your story will never remain the same. You will agree with me that the process has been transparent. We confirmed your farms and documentations during the physical verification exercise.

“That is the wish of the Governor that we select only those who are already in agriculture and help them to grow and survive rather than chasing after people who do not have interest in agriculture. By virtue of your invitation to this workshop, you are admitted into this programme,” he remarked. 

On his part, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Youth Monitoring, the helmsman in charge of the Directorate of Youth Monitoring and Mentoring (DYMM), Mr. Edward Mekwunye, represented by the Head Technical DYMM, Pastor Festus Eligbo, admonished the beneficiaries to apply knowledge gained at the training to ensure business success, assuring them that DYMM would continue to monitor and mentor them at different stages. 

The Senior Special Assistants to the Governor on Job and Wealth Creation, Engr Chukwuka Osumili, Mr. Emmanuel Osazuwa and Prince Charles Abutoh while charging them to be committed to their enterprises, urged them to take full advantage of the programme to take their businesses to the next level.

The beneficiaries were taken through lectures on, “Record Keeping” and “Best Practices in Farm Enterprise Management” by the Resources Persons- Miss Emmanuella Clinton (Poultry), Mr. Chiweike Nwankwo (Fish Production), Mr. John Okafor (Piggery) and Comrade Sunday Ojenima (Bee Keeping) respectively.

Feeding questions from newsmen, the Facilitator for Bee Keeping in the state, Comrade Sunday Ojenima, said the introduction of the enterprise into YAGEP is a welcome development that will boost the economic fortunes of Delta youths.

The Shell Petroleum trained Bee Keeper said Bee Keeping is a lucrative business, explaining that bee is the greatest pollinator. He advised that if every farmer invest in Bee Keeping, more food will be produced in the state in addition to other benefits as honey, bee wax and other products.

He tasked more Deltans to key into Bee Farming, describing it as a zero-level and cost-effective farm enterprise that requires only minimal initial capital to set up.

Responding on behalf of others, Sunday Evelyn in Bee Keeping and Shedrack Osakwe in Fish Production expressed gratitude to the State Government for the job creation initiative. They pledged to apply the knowledge acquired to improve their farming techniques.

By Gertrude Onyekachukwu-Uteh 

 Post-Training Proficiency Test has been described as part of quality assurance measures introduced into the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) to ensure its success.

The Delta State Government through its Skills Training and Entrepreneurship programme (STEP) has achieved another milestone with the commencement of handing out of starter packs to 2020/2021 Cycle beneficiaries. 

The beneficiaries comprised STEP graduands who recently completed their trainings in various training centers across the state and have passed the proficiency test and undergone the Entrepreneurship and Business Management Training (EBMT.) 

The graduands numbering 62 included 22 STEPreneurs in Audio-Visual and 40 in Hairdressing and Braiding.

In an interview with one of the graduands, Cheche Queen Ifeoma who hails from Ika South Local Government Area, she said she was ready with her business name Donmonko Photography. 

Trained in Audio-Visual for four months, she expressed joy being established by the State Government with starter pack to begin her own business, thanking God and the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for being selected amongst others for the STEP programme. 

“Ordinarily, I couldn't have been able to afford the training and the starter pack given to me.  Government should continue with this programme. It has helped a lot of youths to go off the streets and made them self-employed,” she added.

In the same vein, Jennifer John Kalehi (Warri South Local Government Area) trained in Hairdressing and Braiding said STEP has helped her fulfill her dream of becoming a hairstylist.

According to her, “I have flare for Hairdressing and Braiding before enrollment in STEP. I am grateful to God and the State Government for giving me the opportunity to be trained and established to practise my passion. I shall show good example out there to make the State Government proud. The job and wealth creation programme is so real and well-thought out.”

By Ese Laura Oghene. 

The importance of the Post Training Proficiency Test (PTPT) for graduands of the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) has been underscored with a call on trainers to ensure that trainees sent to their training centers are well trained in their chosen vocational skills.

The Chief job and Wealth Creation Officer, Prof Eric Eboh, made the assertion at a meeting in Asaba between the Delta State Job and Wealth Creation Bureau and trainers selected to work as panel of assessors during the PTPT for 2020/2021 Cycle STEP graduands who recently completed a four-month training in four vocational skills. 

The STEP graduands were to under-go the PTPT for a particular skill they were trained in, either in Hairdressing; Catering and Confectionery; PoP, Painting and Screed-Making, and Audio-Visual Services.

Prof Eboh explained that all the beneficiaries would be subjected to a test to confirm their proficiency in the skills learnt and to prove that they actually learnt the skills for which they were enrolled in STEP. 

He stated that only those who passed the test would be given starter pack.

“The start-up support cannot be given to someone who has not learnt or passed the test. If we do that, it means we are sowing a seed for failure. The proficiency test is very important for the programme, for quality assurance. For the programme to succeed, the trainees must prove that they have learnt the skills,” he maintained.

While thanking the trainers for partnering with the state government in nurturing unemployed youths into entrepreneurs, he pointed that their selection and engagement as members of the PTPT panel of assessors was an indication that they have performed creditably well during the training process.

One of the selected trainers, Mrs. Mary Odugala of the Delta State Vocational Centre, Asaba expressed her appreciation to the bureau for selecting her to work as a member of the panel of assessors for the PTPT, adding that the trainees who graduated from her center were fully ready for the test.

In the same vein, Mr. Vincent Obiake, a trainer in PoP, Painting and Screed-Making, while commending the state government for the job creation initiative, assured the bureau that the graduands from his center were thoroughly trained and would past the PTPT excellently.

Written By Ese Laura Oghene 

The Delta State Government has been commended for its efforts at promoting the Sustainable Development Goals’ global framework for economic and social development through its policies and programmes.

The Delta State Government has commenced Entrepreneurship and Business Management Training (EBMT) for first batch of STEP graduands in the 2019/2020 Cycle.