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Lagos State government has launched the third edition of its Ready-Set-Work (RSW) training programme targeting to train over 25,000 students of various tertiary institutions in the state.
The RSW is an initiative of the state government that brings students of tertiary institutions in Lagos, especially those in
the final year, together for a training programme that builds their confidence and prepares their minds towards the world of work and self-reliance upon graduation from school.
The special adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, who spoke at the launch of the 2018 edition of the programme, on Thursday, said the training would last for 13 weeks, adding that since the take-off in 2016, thousands had benefitted from it.
“What we are doing here is the official launch of The Ready-Set-Work faculty. We are building the largest volunteer faculty in Nigeria. Since the inception of the programme, we have engaged volunteers, who are professionals from various sectors of the economy to train and mentor the students in the 13-week training programme.
“Last year, we engaged over 118 professionals who committed their time, resources and expertise to impact the lives of the students. With a target of training 5,000 students in 2018, we need to scale up the faculty pool,” Bank-Olemo said.
Bank-Olemo, who disclosed that the 2018 edition had been expanded, said: “This year, we are scaling up the programme to accommodate 25,000 students instead of 12,000 that were trained in 2017. About 5,000 final year students will participate in the 13-week class-based training, while 20,000 students in their penultimate year will take part in the online academy.”
He said the state government was also increasing the number of participating schools this year to accommodate Yaba College of Technology, Federal College of Education (Technical) and a private institution, Caleb University.
The special adviser said that the inclusion of the new schools was in line with government’s commitment to ensuring that every student graduating from any tertiary institution in Lagos State was prepared for the world of work as an employer of labour or a value-adding employee.
The vice chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Olanrewaju Fagbohun commended the ready-set-work initiative. “As the head of a tertiary institution privileged to participate in the programme, I can attest to the fact that the mindset of our students has been transformed,” he said.
JOSHUA BASSEY
