NIGERIA- As a way of orientating the public, the UN General Assembly, on 18 December 2014, designated 15 July as World Youth Skills Day to be marked every year. This year, the theme for this observance is “Skills for the Future of Work”.
Speaking at the 2017 World Youth Skills Day observance, on Friday, 14th of July, the National Information Officer of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, Oluseyi Soremekun, called on Nigerian youth to add vocational skills acquisition to their formal education in order to be marketable, employable and economically sustainable for a secured future.
According to reports gathered, the National Information Officer, during the observance event hosted by Yes-I-Believe Academy (YIBA) in collaboration with UNIC, expressed concern at the high number of unemployed youth. World Youth Skills Day, Soremekun disclosed, is in recognition of the fact that there is need to support and foster the “acquisition of skills” so that youths could “enhance their ability to make informed choices with regard to life and work and empower themselves to gain access to changing labor markets.”
Soremekun further explained that education and training are key determinants of success in the labor market. Adding that “Skills and jobs for youth feature prominently in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 4.4 calls for a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills.”
In his talk, he noted that every individual is a well of some sort of skills, emphasizing on the need for youths to identify this and develop accordingly. According to him: “Everyone has inborn skills. No one is empty and useless.” Go and sit yourself and “Identify your passion, your skill area and seek help to develop it and be a master of your future. Your future lies in your hands. Acquire a skill today.”
Soremekun explained that “One reason for youth unemployment is structural unemployment, a mismatch between the skills that workers in the economy can offer and the skills demanded of workers by employers.” Structural unemployment, according to him “affects all regions around the world and it impacts not only economies but also hampers the transition to equitable and inclusive societies envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Also speaking at the event, Mrs Nneoma Effanga, a Makeup expert, according to the press release from UNIC, urged youths to shun idleness and develop their talents. These skills and talents, she noted might not be related to their course of studies in the tertiary institution. Such a step, according to her, “might be that which would secure their future.”
Correspondent: Ridwan A. Olayiwola
