Govt Begin Screening of Master Trainers for ‘1 Youth 2 Skills Solution’
By Ifeoma Aniagbado
Ahead the training sessions of the second phase of ‘1 Youth 2 Skills Solution’ (1Y2SS), Anambra State Ministry of Youth Development has began the validation of a new set of master trainers.
The validation exercise began last Monday (June 24) with aspiring master trainers from 10 local government areas (LGA). During the validation, intending master trainers from all the 21 LGAs in Anambra State will be screened to have their data updated as skills instructors of the new 1Y2SS trainees that will be announced soon.
So far, screened master trainers screened in the ongoing validation exercise comprise those from these LGAs, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Dunukaofia, Njikoka, Idemili North, Idemili South, Ogbaru, Aguata and Oyi.
Addressing the aspiring master trainers at the ASATU Hall in Government House, Awka, Commissioner for Youth Development, Patrick Agha Mba stated that the aim of the exercise is to ensure that the training centers where Anambra youths will be trained are of high ethical and modern professional standard.
Mr. Agha Mba communicated to the prospective trainers that the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, insists on giving the state’s youths the best quality of skills orientation so as to make them highly professional, productive and prosperous.
The governor, whom the commissioner described as very youth-friendly, approved the Second phase of the 1Y2SS not only to empower Anambra youths but to arm them with productive knowledge and practices that would make them successful in life and compete anywhere they find themselves.
He added that the second phase of 1Y2SS program will be coming with a lot of innovations, which include the retraining and certification of master trainers by a recognised and reputable national agency as a means of ensuring the quality of the training content which the Governor is very keen on.
Mr. Agha Mba added that the government will foot the bill of retraining and certification of the validated master trainers. He informed that the second level of 1Y2SS will train 10,000 Anambra youths, twice the size of the first phase which trained 5,000 persons.
While acquiring new skills that will engage their hands and brains, the 10,000 youths will be given orientations in apprenticeship, entrepreneurship, business financing and the mentorship schemes of the program. Hence, phase two of 1Y2SS is a 100 per cent improvement on the previous phase.
The commissioner expressed his delight that the beneficiaries of the first batch of 1Y2SS are already doing very well based on Impact Assessment conducted independently by the Ministry and Strategy Evaluation and Execution (SEE). He stated that the beneficiaries had also organised themselves under Solution Youth-Preneurs Support Group (SYPSG) to assist Mr. Governor in actualising the goal of every Anambra youth having a minimum of two skills.
Along with the improvements in the second phase of 1Y2SS are other innovations the Solution Government has brought to youth development in such programs as the Youths To Agriculture Scheme (YTAS), Anawood Scheme, use of GPS Coordinate in project monitoring, Online Entrepreneurship Program and application of digital technology in data management.
The master trainers’ screening event, which was held at the ASATU Hall Government House, Awka was attended by the management team of the Ministry, the Chairman NASME Mr. Chinemerem Oguegbe, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development, Emeka Tony Omatah, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Youth, Chibuzor Udeh, the team member from ANSICTA, Tochukwu Ebeku, as well as Prince Godspower Olotta and Leonard Nwadike, who are business development consultants, members of 1Y2SS and former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra Newspapers and Printing Corporation, Chuka Nnabuife and the Media.
