17th July, 2018
The Kaduna State University Entrepreneurship Research and Development Centre (ERDC), in collaboration with Magvoile Vocational Centre, on Tuesday commenced a two-day intensive training for over 500 students on vocational skills.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Muhammad Tanko, said at the opening of the programme in Kaduna that the training was designed to equip students with skills for self-reliance.
Tanko identified the skills to include fashion design, shoe and bag making, make-up, photography, event planning, bread making, cake making, decoration modeling, carpentry and bead making.
He said that the training, sponsored by Magvoile was necessary to expose students to available skills to learn, not only to make a living but to be job creators.
According to him, the measure is part of the university’s effort to take the thinking of students away from government jobs to entrepreneurship.
“This is a great opportunity and you should count yourself lucky to be part of it.
“The two-day training provides you with unique opportunity to interact with successful entrepreneurs and learn new skills on your way to building a productive and self-reliant future.
Also speaking, Dr Helen Andow, Director, ERDC, encouraged the students to pay keen attention and learn at least a skill needed to make a living after graduation.
Andow reminded the students that there were currently no white-collar jobs in the country, adding that entrepreneurship was the key to a successful life.
She said that the center would continue to organise such trainings, to provide students with huge opportunities to become graduates with the ability to change the world.
Mr Ernest Essien, Chief Executive Officer, Magvoile Vocational Centre, thanked the university for the opportunity to interact with the students and equip them with needed skills for a successful life after graduation.
“The contemporary world and the future is about what one can do, not about the kind of certificate one holds.
“School certificate without ability and skill has no value. You must strive to equip yourself with the ability to make a difference,” Essien said.
One of the students, Nancy Kuheps of Industrial Chemistry Department, thanked the university for organizing the training, saying that it would equip them with skills for income generation.