The government, through the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, engaged in the Multi Skills Teenprenureship Programme to help the students acquire vocational knowledge while in secondary school.
The 720 beneficiary students were drawn from nine secondary schools in the state.
Launching the programme, at St Louis Secondary School, Akure, on Thursday, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, pointed out that education had a vital role to play in developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that solve the most challenging problems in any society.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Segun Omojuwa, the governor said his “administration is fighting tooth and nail to ensure the continued provision of functional education and human capacity development for its citizen.”
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Folasade Adegoke, explained that the skill acquisition was the catalyst for economic development and any nation that wants to develop must fashion herself towards the direction of skills acquisition of the citizens.
She said “Technical progress alone cannot lead to economic progress, until we put technological advancement to economic use, this will surely tackle the problem of unemployment either directly or indirectly.
“The success story of developed nations can be traced to the early discovery of entrepreneurship as a tool for sustainable socio-economic development.
“Multi Skill Foundation has birthed a new dawn in Africa and more importantly in Ondo State of Nigeria by bringing the Indian Technical know-how for the development of the state through Multi Skill Teenpreneurship Program.”
Adegoke also revealed that LAHI had not only brought the tools and equipment needed by the pilot schools running to millions of naira but also trained the instructors on how to use the tools effectively and appropriately and that the instructors were equally on their pay roll.
Lauding the founder of the program, the PS promised that the state would leave no stone unturned in ensuring the success of the program.
“On the side of the state government, I wish to state that we are fully prepared to play our own role at ensuring that this program is jealously guided and we will not leave any stone unturned to guarantee success in all the nine pilot secondary schools across the state” she said.
The Initiator of the MSTP, Mr. Wale Akinyanmi, said the essence of the programme was to give life skills to students right from the young age so as to enable them have practical knowledge of life.
“Every child is expected to be able to sustain himself in life and that is what this program is all about, rather than just relying on theories alone, these students have so much to do in terms of learning life skills, we call them life skills because this skills are needed to enhance life,” he said.
Akinyanmi also revealed that the programme is only restricted to 80 students per each of the selected schools due to limited spaces in the laboratory.
He appealed to the government to create more spaces so as to accommodate more pupils.
The nine schools where the students would be trained are St. Louis Girls Grammar School, Akure, Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke, Imade College, Owo, Greater Tomorrow International Sec. School, Arigidi Akoko, Independence Grammar School, Ondo, Gboluji Grammar School, Ile-Oluji, Manuwa Memorial Grammar School, Iju-Odo, Oyenusi Grammar School, Irele, and Springtide High School, Igbatoro.
