Last year, Nigeria’s unemployment rate was estimated to stand at 33%, a 0.5% increase from the previous year. Government and organizations alike have been concerned with finding solutions to the problem of unemployment, especially with a predominately youthful population. The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) was established to address this problem and promote wealth creation in Lagos. Through the Lagos Innovates Programme, Honeywell Group and LSETF have partnered to tackle unemployment and give young people in the state the opportunity to lead better lives.
In a partnership spanning three years, Honeywell Group, as part of its commitment to fostering economic growth and development, has contributed to youth employment. By providing access to mentorship and hands-on training opportunities, the Lagos Innovates talent development initiative is set to graduate 77 beneficiaries from Cohort A.
The training, which began in September 2022 with 77 beneficiaries selected from a pool of 1,000 applicants, was facilitated by one of the programme’s training partners, Dataleum. Beneficiaries were taken through a rigorous 4-month training exercise where they were exposed to data analytics training, soft skills training, stimulated interview sessions, and other job preparation activities.
The graduation ceremony which was held on Friday, February 3, 2023, at The Philippi Centre, Oluwalogbon House, Ikeja, doubled as a career fair, where recruiters were present to interview beneficiaries.
Favour Adebayo, an excited beneficiary of the programme, described the programme as what she needed to change her life and thanked Honeywell Group, LSETF and Dataleum, the training partner. She said, “The talent development programme was transformational. The programme gave me direction and more opportunities. From acquiring soft skills I didn’t know I lacked to intense hands-on practice, I am convinced that the only way from here is up!”
Commenting on the occasion, Honeywell Group’s Head, Corporate Services, Tomi Otudeko said: “We are proud of these beneficiaries who have worked tirelessly throughout the rigorous programme, and it has been a delight to see their faces light up. More importantly, we are encouraged by the impact this training has had on their lives and how it will cascade down to 77 communities across the state.
As a company, we are deliberate about investing in people and initiatives, that will allow us to make positive impact on communities and improve the lives of our stakeholders. This partnership with the Lagos State Government through LSETF is a key aspect of building the economy of the state and the nation. We look forward to the next session of the programme and being enablers for the expanding vision for the country.”
Lagos Innovates’ Head, Startups, Hakeem Onasanya, said: “One of the major highlights of this initiative, aside from the number of young people we are able to support, is hearing about its impact from the beneficiaries. I applaud the graduates for their commitment to the programme, and we are optimistic that the graduates will go on to do astounding work in their new career path and in service to Lagos State.”
While cohorts B and C are set to begin soon with other training partners, members of the public are encouraged to apply for the next selection round.