Obaseki’s Tech Revolution: EdoJobs, WeAreBits, others commence year-long IT training for 50 youth

…as govt trains 200 enumerators, holds stakeholders’ parley

EdoJobs, a job creation platform of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration, in partnership with WeAreBits, Butterfly Works and EkoBits have commenced a one-year training programme for 50 Edo youth on Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills.

Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, told journalists in Benin City that the programme is aimed at assisting youths to acquire skills in ICT and prepare them for job opportunities within and outside the country.

She said that EdoJobs will be organising Edo Synergise on September 26, to host stakeholders in the private and public sectors to harmonise strategies to map out the skills gaps and employment opportunities in the state.

Ukinebo, who heads EdoJobs, said, “At the end, participants would have acquired practical skills in digital design and specialise in web development, motion graphics, photography, and video graphics.”

Dare said the training was designed to enable the youths discover their talent in the use of technology in becoming entrepreneurs and employers of labour.

Manager, EdoBits, Mr. Abraham Omomoh, said Bits school is an institution for young school leavers without access to university education to get trained in a year-long professional course on ICT and Digital design.

He said the programme will prepare the youths to be employers of labour., noting, “I want to urge you all to take the training very seriously as it will mark the beginning of new things and offer opportunities to change your lives for the better.”

Meanwhile, EdoJobs has completed a two-day training for second batch of 200 enumerators in Benin City, to assist the state government in gathering data of unemployed persons, for effective planning.

Speaking to journalists on the need for the enumeration exercise, Dare said the exercise is to provide data for government to better engage with Edo people in matters regarding job creation and entrepreneurship.

She said “Following the success of the first batch, the governor asked us to expand the programme to accommodate 200 more Edo youth as enumerators, for more data capturing, which will assist the administration fulfil the electoral promise to create 200,000 jobs in the state.

“Within three months, the enumerators will reside in their local government areas and their duties will include: registering people on the EdoJobs portal; reaching out to people on existing vacancies; explaining to people the processes of EdoJobs and working with employers in the local government areas to get vacancies out to the unemployed.”