The Delta State Government’s Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) has continued to receive positive reactions from beneficiaries as 44 STEPreneurs trained in Electrical Installation and Solar Works receive starter pack items.
Some of the beneficiaries spoken to expressed their gratitude to the State Government for giving them the platform through which they would become gainfully engaged, entrepreneurs and job and wealth creators instead of waiting for non-existent white collar jobs.
Julius Kalaere Pina (Burutu LGA) and Hosea Tuereyegha (Burutu LGA) said they were glad to be trained and established with starter packs to begin their businesses after so many years of unemployment. They affirmed that the trainings they were exposed to right from the Orientation and Personal Effectiveness Training; Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship and Business Management Training which lasted for eight months were sufficient for them to become successful business owners.
For Godspower Macaulay (Udu LGA), he appealed to the State Government to continue with the programme so that more unemployed youths could become meaningfully employed to provide for themselves and their families and to contribute their quota to the state economy. “The programme should be continued. I hope to partner with a friend who runs an electrical enterprise, that will give me a good platform to market my skill, provide for my family and the economy of Delta State, “he remarked.
Also, Mrs Rose Aboneje, the mother of one of the beneficiaries was there to witness the handing out of starter pack to her son, Eyituoyo Aboneje (Warri South). She said she was grateful for the job creative initiative of the State Government which according to her has given the youths the right sense of direction.
Hear her, “I was not expecting this quality of starter pack from the government. When my son could not continue with his university education, I advised him to acquire a skill when this opportunity came. The programme will help our children to do well, make legitimate living and boost the state economy.”
Earlier, the Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer of the Delta State Job Creation Bureau, Prof Eric Eboh, reiterated the State Government’s vision of achieving a Stronger Delta through youth empowerment, economic prosperity and social inclusion. He maintained the programme is implemented based on the core principles of professionalism, integrity, quality and discipline.
Prof Eboh said the starter pack items included equipment, tools and materials necessary and sufficient to set up, own and run a viable and successful enterprise, adding that in order to ensure that the starter pack items were appropriate and adequate, a panel of practitioners was usually constituted to make recommendations.
He explained that the recommended enterprise start-up items were complemented with shop rent support to the beneficiary and that the training phases were designed and implemented in a manner that the beneficiaries have the requisite orientation, attitudes, aptitudes, capabilities and resources to successfully own and run an enterprise in keeping with the job creation brand.
According to him, “Since 2015, the State Government has been engaging, training and empowering Delta youths under the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP). So far, a total of 3,881 youths have benefitted from the personal effectiveness training, skills training, entrepreneurship training and start-up support activities under STEP. Out of this number are 44 youths, who are today being given starter packs in Electrical Installation and Solar Works, after successful completion of the three training phases, together lasting 8 months.”
On his part, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Wealth Creation in the bureau, Mr Emmanuel Osazuwa, said he was overwhelmed by the level of support Governor Okowa is giving to the youths. He reaffirmed that the beneficiaries have received adequate support right from the least to the most important item as starter packs to begin their enterprises as well as money for shop rent.
“Everybody has the same treatment, even without knowing anybody. I want to thank His Excellency, the Governor for the job creation initiative. Many of us will not realise the value of this entrepreneurship programme not until he leaves office,” he enthused.
Written by Gertrude Onyekachukwu-Uteh