The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) has signed a grant with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and the Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy (FSD) to train 400 youth, and women in vocational skills.
Travis Adkins, the USADF president and CEO speaking at the event held recently at the FSD Academy, Lagos, said the grant signing is part of the U.S. government’s support for programmes that promote entrepreneurship as the key driver of sustainable economic growth.
Adkins said that he came with his team to give more support to FSD for the impact the academy is making in people’s lives.
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“The aim of the grant is to support a partnership with LSETF and our local partners such as FSD in upskilling youth and women.
“The women and youth in Lagos are to cultivate their God-given talents and find ways to create employability skills for themselves including white skills and create a path for themselves to start their own businesses as entrepreneurs or to find jobs that will allow them to support their families and even for those who would be entrepreneurs to be job creators for other people,” he said.
Adkins reaffirmed the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting the upskilling of youth and women in Africa.
“It is doubling down to our commitment to the women and youth of Africa, in this case Lagos, specifically.”
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“We believe that the demography is not only the future of Africa, but the present and to prove that we have to give them such opportunities to cultivate their skills, that’s what FSD is all about, and that’s why we are here today to support that effort on behalf US government to Nigeria,” he noted.
Omowale Ogunrinde, the founder and chief executive officer at FSD explained that through the grant award, Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy will offer a twelve-week training programme for 400 youth aged 18-35 years old.
“Trainees will gain skills in catering and hospitality, green fashion design, and natural hair and beauty care, with the overall goal of addressing youth unemployment in Lagos by improving job skills and employment outcomes in the hospitality and fashion sectors.
“Upon completion of the training program, certified trainees will be placed in a three-month internship with employers in various sectors,” she said.
Besides, Ogunrinde disclosed that the academy has for 21 years being rendering social services across the country.
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“We are 13 states of the federation and have produced over 93 percent certified graduates.
Our programmes have been carefully designed to help people reach their goals, through acquisition of practical entrepreneurial and vocational skills through the support of our local and international partners, we have worked in 14 cities of Nigeria which include Calabar, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Owerri, Ibadan and Lagos, among others,” she said.
The U.S. government exchange alumna said that the academy, which is a two-time USADF grantee, is leading the path in vocational, technical, and entrepreneurship training in Nigeria.
Adewumi Oni, the director of finance and corporate services at LSETF said the agency on behalf of the Lagos State government appreciates the U.S. support in the state to upskill the youth and women.
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He assured Lagos residents that LSETF’s free training programme for 18 to 35 years is meant to upscale them from economic hardship. He said the agency has courses in green fashion design, green catering and hair dressing and natural beauty care, among others.
He enjoined the trainees to optmise the opportunity and dream big for their future.
“Don’t be afraid of your visions in life. Go out there and be good ambassadors of FSD, and Lagos State,” he said.
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