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By Peter Ejiofor, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Unarguably, employability is very important, especially for the younger generations. However, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), two out of every five young people are either unemployed or have a job that keeps them in poverty.
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than one in six young people are out of work, while those who remain employed have seen their working hours greatly reduced.
The impact of the global pandemic is greater in low and middle-income countries, where up to 75 per cent of young people work in the informal sector of the economy with no job security and little social protection.
Nigeria, with one of the youngest populations globally, falls into the category of middle and low income economies.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigerias youth unemployment rate rose from 25.5 per cent in 2017, to 29.7 per cent in 2018.
With the additional burden of the COVID-19 crisis, youth employment and employability are challenges that must be addressed urgently.
It is imperative that all hands be on deck to ensure that the youth are equipped with relevant skills for the workplace and for enterprise.
Nestl Nigeria is one of the leading companies in Nigeria which has consistently invested in youth empowerment, helping youths to build employability and entrepreneurship capabilities.
This, it is achieving through the Nestl Needs YOUth initiative, reaching over 13,000 young Nigerians in the past two years.
Activities in the initiative include career fairs, entrepreneurship training and mentorship, as well as technical skills training, equipping youth to find decent employment or profitable enterprise.
According to the former Managing Director, Nestl Nigeria, Mr Mauricio Alarcon: It is clear that youth have a critical role to play in building thriving resilient communities.
We believe that communities cannot survive or be successful if they fail to create opportunities for future generations. Through Nestl needs YOUth, we aim to help young people to access economic opportunities.
We also want to help equip the next generation of employees, and entrepreneurs, regardless of their field or level of expertise.
This is important for us as a business because young people are the employees, who will keep our company dynamic and competitive in the future, they are the future farmers who will grow the crops we need, and the future entrepreneurs who will help us reach new markets. This is one of the ways we create shared value.
It has also established what it calls Nestl Celebrates Youth, to coincide with the worldwide commemoration of International Youth Day 2020.
Nestl announced its newly established virtual internship programme in line with Nestl Needs YOUths focus on reducing youth unemployment across the globe.
The programme which is open to qualified youths from tertiary institutions seeks to transfer required international skills for the workplace. Registration is via the companys website.
Nestl Needs Youth Programmes in Nigeria includes Nestl Needs YOUth initiatives which is focused on three areas: Employment and Employability, Agripreneurship and Entrepreneurship.
These initiatives comprise Technical Training, My Own Business (MYOWBU), Youth Agripreneurship Development Programme (YADIS), and Employability Skills Building programmes, in collaboration with other stakeholders, including the Lagos State Government, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and various tertiary institutions, including Lagos Business School, LBS.
It is also equipping the youth for post-COVID economic recovery. To alleviate the additional impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods, Nestl Nigeria recently collaborated with NECA and Redwood consulting to offer online entrepreneurial skills training to over 1,000 youths during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The programme, NECApreneur, provided an opportunity for young people to upscale their entrepreneurial skills to support economic recovery post-COVID-19. The training covered a range of topics including how to start a business, market insight, logistics and operations.
The collaboration is equipping the youth with technical skills in the new realities, that technical skills are more essential than ever, not only for boosting employability, but also for supporting the industrialisation of our nation.
Since 2011, Nestl Nigeria has invested in helping young people build technical skills in machining, mechanical fitting operations, electrical operations, instrumentation operations and automation at its Technical Training Centres located in the companys Agbara and Abaji factories.
The 18-month multi-skilled vocational training programme prepares beneficiaries for the prestigious London City and Guilds technical certification.
Mr Sola Akinyosoye, the Country Human Resources Manager for Nestl Nigeria says: Nestls Technical Training programme has benefitted over 100 students so far, with over 90 per cent of them directly employed by the company.
One person lifted out of poverty translates to positive impact on the whole family and on whole communities. So, together with our partners, The Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), we will continue to invest in the education and capacity development of youths to help reduce the burden of unemployment, while creating a pipeline of skilled technicians for our business and for industry at large.
The ITF and NECA joined forces with Nestl Nigeria in 2019 to extend the reach of the Abaji Technical Training Centre. This initiative is in addition to the companys internship and graduate trainee programmes to help young school leavers build the skills required to find gainful employment.
For four years, Nestl collaborated with the Lagos State Government on the Ready, Set, Work (RSW), which aims to build employability skills.
Another channel through which Nestle accomplishes its youth development programme is by Engaging Youth in Agriculture Value Chain.
Considering the pace at which our population is growing and the need to improve food security by creating a sustainable food system, it is clear that the agriculture value chain holds great opportunities for youth to find decent employment, while developing innovative solutions for the future of food.
As a good food, good life company whose purpose is unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for future generations, Nestl works alongside other stakeholders to accelerate the inclusion of youth in the agriculture value chain.
To this end, Nestl Nigeria recently signed an agreement with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which aims to improve food security by increasing the interest and opportunities for youth in farming and agri-food businesses in West Africa.
The programme, Youth Agripreneurship Development Programme (YADIS), will reach 800 youths in Nigeria over the next two years.
The programme is focused on two value chains: A Cassava Plan, targeted at 400 youths implemented by Psaltry International Limited and a Cereals Plan also targeted at 400 youths, implemented by CBIL.
YADIS provides training on good agricultural practices, post-harvest management, food safety and entrepreneurial skills, while providing expert mentorship to help the youth become profitable in their farming enterprises.
The programme also provides input credit to access the right quality and quantity of various farm inputs required for increased productivity, while also linking participants to financial institutions to secure additional funding for business sustainability.
Building Future Entrepreneurs is another way the company promotes youth employment through My Own Business (MYOWBU), programme which works with young people to start their own small businesses as mobile caf entrepreneurs.
By providing entrepreneurship training and startup equipment, Nestl helps the youth to maximise their potential. Since the programme started, about 2,100 small businesses have been created.
The MYOWBU operators also form part of Nescafs consumer recruitment drive, thereby creating value both for the society and for Nestl.
One of the beneficiaries of MYOWBU, Mr Wasiu Adeyeye, who started as a pushcart operator, has grown his business to a more upscale mobile caf.
Adeyeye was a school leaver, who like most young Nigerians could not find gainful employment. He says he is thankful that he became part of the MyOwBu programme.
When my friend and former schoolmate introduced me to the Nescaf pushcart initiative, I did not believe that this business would help me become successful in life.
I soon realised that with hard work and persistence, I will succeed, so I patiently understudied my friend and worked diligently. Today, I am happy to say that, I have been able to cater for my wife and my child.
I am able to pay my daughters school fees. In fact, we are doing well. I am confident that my future is promising, Adeyeye said.
This is one of the beneficiary success stories that encourages Nestl to keep investing in creating opportunities for young people to attain their highest potential.
Nestl Nigeria continues to leverage the companys global resources and knowhow to make a difference by driving societal progress.
Nestl Nigeria is one of the largest food companies in Africa, with the purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone today and for generations to come.
For over 58 years, the company has been delighting consumers around Nigeria by consistently delivering high quality nutritious food with staff strength of over 2,300 direct employees.
The company produces and markets several iconic brands, including NESTL PURELIFE, GOLDEN MORN, MILO, MAGGI and NESCAF. (NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Source: NAN News