Over a hundred and fifty graduands of the Youths Employment and Social Support Orientation (YESSO) programme who recently concluded a three-month skills acquisition programme in Gregory University Uturu have been offered different levels of tuition free scholarships, internships and employments
opportunities.
The Chancellor and Proprietor of Gregory University Uturu, Prof Gregory Ibe announced this cheering news during the closing ceremony of the programme.
Speaking during the colourful event, Prof Ibe appreciated the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), for mobilizing over one thousand youths from six Local Government Councils of Abia State to participate in the training programme, and particularly paid glowing tributes to the World Bank for providing funds for the exercise.
According to Prof Ibe, “I want to specially commend the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), who through her Abia State office organized this programme by painstakingly mobilizing about 1150 young participants from 6 Local Government Councils of our state. I must not fail to congratulate our young participants for their diligence and hard work in following through with the rigorous demands of this intense training workshop.”
“I am confident they have been adequately equipped with skills that can make them function as job creators and no longer as job seekers. Let me also commend the World Bank, for providing funding that facilitated the camping, feeding and training of participants these past months.”
Giving further breakdown of the Chancellor’s magnanimous awards, the Vice Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu, Prof Augustine Uwakwe, stated that the package includes the offer of comprehensive tuition free scholarships to 48 participants to study rare programmes in Agriculture, Insurance and Humanities in Gregory University Uturu.
In his words,
” Beyond the 48 YESSO programme participants who are to enjoy scholarships while studying Agriculture, Humanities and Insurance, the Chancellor in his magnanimity has also extended the award to other Abia youths who didn’t have the opportunity of undergoing this training exercise. He has therefore asked me to announce the offer of additional scholarships in our institution to 44 youths from the remaining 11 Local Government Councils that didn’t participate in the YESSO training workshop, at the ratio of 4 youths per LGA.”
“This brings the total number of youths offered scholarship by the Chancellor today to 90, while an additional number of over 60 people from the different skills groups will be retained in our different enterprise centres for their
internship programme.”
Speaking earlier, the Abia State Coordinator of NDE, Arc. Lady Chi Uzoatuegwu appreciated both Gregory University Uturu and the World Bank for their partnership, pledging the preparedness of her agency to build on the
benefits of the collaboration.
Top management staff of Gregory University Uturu and Abia State office of NDE attended the closing ceremony.
