Academy CEO Wins Ford Foundation Prize For Youth Empowerment

POISE Graduate Finishing Academy, Nigeria’s foremost employability skills academy has celebrated its C.E.O, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, who has just won the prestigious Ford Foundation prize for ‘Youth Employment’ category of the Future Awards in grand Style. She was celebrated for her efforts on the PSENSE Initiative, an idea she conceived and implemented to impact positively, the lives of over 10,000 Nigerian graduates. The charity projects carried out by its students have affected another 8,500 lives and still counting.

The Poise Graduate Finishing Academy kicked off in January 2012, in response to the alarming state of unpreparedness exhibited by most Nigerian graduates for the demands and expectations of a highly competitive labour market. The company, whose mission states, “Re-engineering the Nation’s workforce” has manifested its impact in the Nigerian labour market with its PSENSE Employability Certification, endorsed by the National Universities Commission for use in Nigerian universities. The mandate of the program is not only to fill the gaps in the Nigerian tertiary curriculum, but to reduce the gap by partnering with the government, tertiary institutions and corporate entities.

This responsibility was taken by the Academy in order to deemphasize the incapacity of the Nigerian tertiary institution to enlighten undergraduates on what to expect after convoking from the University. Since its conception in 2010 and growth five years after, it has trained and equipped over ten thousand graduates, ready to take charge of the labour market, by impacting their organisation for success and sustainable productivity.

The “Making an Impact fund” was set up to give out scholarships to intelligent graduates from low – income backgrounds and change their lives. This is achieved through the help of corporate and individual sponsors.

On performance and integrity, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Poise Global Mavi Isibor, said the impact of the Poise Graduate Finishing Academy and PSENSE program cannot be overemphasized, as participants, who have attended and completed the PSENSE Program have said overtime, that they have risen fast in their careers and continue to send in testimonials.

Speaking with The Guardian in a delightful tone, Emmanuel Daramola, a product of the finishing school said the PSENSE Program has made a great difference in his life.

“The Poise Nigeria’ PSENSE Program has truly made a great difference and added value to me. It’s a good programme that I would recommend any day.” Esther Ulebor didn’t mince words when she told The Guardian how the PSENSE impacted her life and career.