Osun Youth Programme To Employ 20,000 Volunteers
The Osun Youth Employment Scheme (OYES) said on Tuesday that the state government would recruit 20,000 youths as volunteers in February.
The Commandant of scheme, Mr Oyewole Enibukun, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo.
“Official recruitment process is ongoing to recruit 20,000 youths into the OYES programme to replace the present batch of cadets who will disengage from the scheme in 2015,” he said.
He said the youths, who were to be recruited for the two-year empowerment programme, would be engaged between 2015 and 2017.
“The recruitment exercise is a two- year revolving and volunteer scheme which began in 2011 to tackle unemployment among youths.
“So far, 40,000 youths have benefited from the scheme and more youths are expected to benefit from the present and future recruitment exercises.
“Those who are selected for the programme based on their eligibility and suitability will be engaged and trained in various vocations by the state for two years,” he said.
Enibukun also told NAN that the programme had helped to reduce the unemployment rate, especially among jobless graduates.
“Empowering the youths through the scheme has led to employment generation.
“ At 2013, unemployment rate has dropped to 3 per cent according to the National Bureau of Statistics,” he stated.
He advised other states to replicate the programme so as to tackle unemployment.
(NAN)