‘Institutionalise entrepreneurship programme for continuity’

To ensure continuity and success of the “Ready Set Work” (RSW) programme, a graduate entrepreneurship initiative of the Lagos State Government, Executive Director, Systemspecs, Deremi Atanda, has called for institutionalisation of the revolutionary programme.

RSW is employability and entrepreneurship programme of Lagos State government, designed to prepare final year students for immediate entry into the workforce as employees and employers of labour by equipping them with market-aligned knowledge, soft skills, business tools, and a mindset reorientation to the world of work.

Speaking on the sideline of the 2017 graduation ceremony of RSW participants, Atanda who described the programme as impactful urged the state government to sponsor a bill that would ensure the preservation of this initiative, owing to its capacity to end graduate unemployment.

Cautioning that the programme should not be toiled with it as a political tool by successive government, he said based on his observation of the interns over the 13 weeks training period, Lagos is at the forefront of developing complementary education curriculum that would aid the existing academic curriculum in the country.

Describing the programme as a super bridge between the year of graduation and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the executive director stated that the initiative is a novel programme that should be emulated by other states, so that at the end of the day, the qualities of the nation’s graduates is greatly improved.

He however, called for more public and private sector participation, saying, “These are the kind of things you see when there is a perfect blend of private and public sector efforts.”

While urging the private sector to continue to invest in the programme, he noted that they are actually the next beneficiaries in terms of the quality of the graduates coming their way.

Atanda who noted that his company’s involvement in the programme goes beyond investment, said their efforts include placement of personnel to be part of the mentorship engagement.