The National Directorate on Employment, NDE, Enugu State has embarked on the training of 34 Enugu youths on acquisition of skills on Soft Landscaping and Hard Landscaping under the Environmental Beautification Training Scheme, EBTS, coordinated by the Special Public Works Department, SPWD, of the NDE.

The Soft Landscaping skills include Horticulture, Flower Gardening and Nurseries, while the Hard Landscaping entails Interlocking, Tiling, and Plaster of Paris, POP.

Participants were selected two each from the 17 local government areas of Enugu State for the skills acquisition scheme.

The NDE Enugu State Coordinator Dr Mrs Chika Onah speaking at the flag off/orientation of this year’s participants recruited for the batch, urged the participants to take the training scheme serious. She stated that paid jobs are hard to come by these days and that the best thing to do, even after schooling, is to acquire one skill or the other.

Commending the programme as very important, she regretted that they could not organise a training scheme in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Having been chosen to benefit from the programme, I want you to appreciate what has been given to you. Make use of the opportunity. Education without skills will not take you far.”

Mrs Onah added: ” Paid employment is hard to come by and even when you are paid, it will not carry you far.”

The state coordinator said that people with skills are sought after in the society, noting that with skills, one will be able to earn much money.

“Skill acquisition is the in-thing now. You may have certificate but skills will help you to grow,” she said and urged the participants to, “bend down and learn the skills.”

The Director General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, represented by the Deputy Director, Special Public Works Department, Engr. Anthony Okum, said such programmes had lifted a lot of people in the society.

Fikpo said the scheme was originally designed for school leavers but because of the uncanny socioe-conomic nature of the country, graduates without jobs indicated interest to be part of the programme.

He said they have been working to make the scheme more viable. “The scheme was originally designed for school leavers but many people including graduates have started showing interest.”

He urged the participants to develop passion for the scheme in order to get something out of it. “Pay particular attention so that you can be established after the training.”