News: NYSC Engages HR Firm To Empower Graduates

The National Youth Service Corps has enlisted the services of Smiles Consulting, a human resource firm, to empower youth corps members on job awareness and creation.

A statement on Tuesday stated that the purpose of the initiative was to reduce unemployment by increasing the chances of corps members in securing jobs after the mandatory one-year national service.

It explained that the training would commence during the camping of the corps members and after, adding that the training would be held in all states' orientation camps and that of the Federal Capital Territory.

The statement read in part, "With the move, the NYSC will be working with the human resource consultancy firm on in-camp sensitisation and post camp training of youth corps members on its job awareness and creation initiative. To ensure that no one is left out, JAC activities will be nationwide, that is, across all states' orientation camps and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja."

According to the Director, Smiles Consulting, Harry Nnoli, the programme is in line with the vision of the Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, to increase the impact of the scheme and extend its value to the beneficiaries.

The partnership with the NYSC, he said, was at no financial cost but was the firm's corporate social responsibility to boost capacity building in the country. Nnoli noted that the scheme would educate the corps members on how they could secure jobs after the service year and also prepare them for entrepreneurship in order to be self-employed if it became difficult for them to get jobs.

He said his firm's appointment was an expression of the confidence the NYSC reposed in it coupled with its accomplishments from years of working together with the organisation to build Nigerian youths who passed through the national youth service scheme. Nnoli was quoted as saying, "This is a result of many years of collaboration with the NYSC Directorate on building capacity for the youth and tackling issues of graduate unemployment, underemployment and employability."

According to the statement, the NYSC has also endorsed the book: 'You're Hired', an employment manual authored by Nnoli.
"The NYSC directorate has endorsed the book for young graduates and professionals on how to secure and create jobs," he said.

Source: Punch