Lagos kicks off ‘Ready Set Work’ programme

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

This year’s edition of the Ready. Set. Work, RSW, an entrepreneurship and employability initiative of the Lagos State Government for tertiary institution students in the state has begun.

The programme is aimed at equipping graduating students with work ethics to enable them excel in their chosen careers

The programme which is taking place simultaneously in three centres across the State has 2,000 final years students from six government owned tertiary institutions as major participants, while an additional 10,000 students in their penultimate year from the same institutions will be tutored online.

The six participating institutions are: Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Lagos State College of Health Science, Lagos State Polytechnic, Michael Otedola College of Education, Lagos State University, LASU and the University of Lagos, UNILAG.

Speaking with newsmen after the opening ceremony at the LASU centre, on Saturday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh said he was impressed that the students defied the heavy rain experienced in the early hours of the morning and turned up in large numbers at all the Centres.

He expressed confidence that the programme which would span 13 Saturdays in all the centres, would achieve its set objectives

The Special Adviser explained that the programme would be intensive as lots of activities, both practical and theoretical had been lined up, especially for the final year students to prepare them for life after school.

Bank-Olemoh also advised the penultimate year students to take advantage of the online platform as registration would remained open at www.readysetwork.com.ng until the 13th of this month, warning that only those who participated in the programme during their penultimate year would be chosen for the final year programme next year.

He stated that at the end of the programme, the 2,000 final year students would get internship placements in reputable companies and institutions across the country.

The Special Adviser added that those who were business inclined would be assisted to apply for funding from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.

Some of the final year students at the LASU centre who spoke with us were visibly excited about the programme and believed that it would change their lives for the better.