Getwork retrains unemployable Nigerian graduates—-Yetunde Ajibade

Why are things not working in Nigeria? Why are corporate organizations folding up and government institutions failing? Why is Nigeria yet like other developed economies? Where does Nigeria intend to be in subsequent decades? Simple as these posers may be, they are the factors that must be factorised for Nigeria’s growth metrics to align. They are   questions to be responded to if Nigeria must move forward. What is central to all of this is latent manpower. In this early stages of 21st century, Nigeria still depends on expatriates to construct its roads, rail tracks, air space management,  marine engineering etc. Incidentally, this abnormalities arrested the attention of Yetunde Ajibade ,  an attorney, a trainer, lecturer,  sales expert, montessori directress,  educationist, who, in this exclusive interview with OpenLife, offers perspectives into her training programmes for Nigeria’s unemployable graduates through  her GETWORK NIGERIA. She spoke with Isaac Ngumah

What is it all about?
Getwork Nigeria is a platform that I and my partner, Bunmi Jasmine Omeke initiated. The meaning of Getwork Nigeria is graduate training workshop. The  reason we started Getwork Nigeria  was because we realized that we have  lot of graduates who are not employable. So,  we decided to help in our own little way to start a movement. We are getting people to start thinking about equipping our graduates for a workforce.

 Personally,  I am a trainer, an educationist and I am also an event consultant.
Technically, Getwork Nigeria  is graduate empowerment initiative with the objective of training, recruiting and managing talents to help young graduates transit into the work environment effectively.

Has the programme start?  

We started the very first edition of Getwork in March last year. We shop listed  the first 30 applications and we started to empower them.

The real reason for this is  because we believe that a lot of graduates are unemployable , hence, they need to be retrained to fit into recruitment requirements.
Can you give an insight into the training?

First, we are very methodical in our application assessment. We open up our Getwork portal  for application. There are  graduates all over Nigeria sending in their application. We ensure  that we are training those who actually went to school to study.

We review  some of the first applications that we have received and get the applicants interviewed. Thereafter, we organize training for them in a very comfortable venue. We use the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. We are lucky to have other supporters. Getwork coaches them for three days with  various facilitators, entrepreneur influencers. They are taught the actual skills that they would need to become employable as well as become  asset to organizations.

Google supported the programme. They supported the programme through teaching  Google skills.

 They are instilled with the ‘I can, I will attitude’ to face all challenges.

 When is the next one ?

Another Getwork programme is coming up in March 2021. We just ended this  year in March. Entry applications will soon commence.

 
How many graduates have you been able to train?
On the maiden edition of Getwork , Bunmi and I sat and we decided that we are going to focus on a number  we are sure  we can properly  impact. To us,  there is no point training a thousand people and you don’t have the tools to support.

 So,  in the maiden edition of Getwork, we had 30 participant.

But  I have had several mentees who I work on a daily basis, helping them gain employment and become the people of value in the organizations they work for.
Can you tell us about the skills so far?
We offer  soft skills of the academic part of their qualification and we also teach them social skills, communication skills, business education, putting CV together, dressing for success, creating positive first impression,

presentation skills, public speaking including other computer applications.

You are a sales expert what do you do as a sales expert?
Well, it is just understanding the act of selling. It is one thing to have a product or a service, it is another thing to be able to communicate this to your target ordience.  Selling is something that decides if your business will survive or not.

 
Can you tell us about your management consulting?

Like I told you, I was very curious about sustainability. I am concerned about how business outlast various challenges to become conglomerate and sustainable. I know we can start business in Nigeria but why are business started by founder don’t get to second third generation? These agitated my mind and I started looking at how do we structure businesses. Business will not function without people and processes. So, how do we manage our businesses to deliver profit for the organisation and I studied this and I brought some of my friends together who are also trainers and management consultants  and we decided to start coaching professionals. That was how I started.
What is your vision through empowerment?
To see a better Nigeria. I want to see a Nigeria we are all proud of. A Nigeria that we can leave for our children. A Nigeria that we can sell to the world. How do you want government  to support your imitative?
It will be lovely if we can partner with the government just to empower as many graduates as possible we can power.

Nigerians are naturally intelligent people. I see them as some of the most intelligent people in the world.

 What are your views  on women in politics?
Politics! That’s the future. We are having more women presidents, we are having more women ministers and we are having more women in active politics around the world. I think it is a welcome development. I think it is something that makes me proud to be a woman.

The same way a man could be active in politics is the same way a woman could be active in politics. I think the men should support the women to be active in politics. However,  the most important thing is to get things working. It is not really about who does it.

Do you wish to become a politician?
Become a politician? That is not  something I have thought about. It is not on my list.