Over five hundred students of Oba Ardelani Gbogboade Memorial Schools, Lagos have been trained on skills that will in turn enable them earn a living during and after leaving school.
The training, which was organised by Ebony Ambassadors, a non-for-profit organization, exposed the students to skills such as tailoring, braiding, among others.
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Executive Director of Ebony Ambassadors, Irene Ani who spoke at the event said the training was necessary as it would introduce the spirit of entrepreneurship in the lives of the young ones.
Relating her experience as a fresher in London 15 years ago and how skill acquisition saw her through school without a student loan, she said: “l learned how to make hair when l got to London and l made a lot of money from braiding, as a result, l did not take any student loan because l made enough money from the braiding.’’
Speaking also at the event, Director of Ardelani Gbogboade Memorial Schools Lagos, Wale Ogunshola lauded the organisers of the event, adding that the initiative would positively impact the lives of the children.
In her words: “It will have a very good impact in the life of the children because it is something that touches the heart and it is a message that I also preach, the message that everybody should have a skill apart from one’s academic pursuit. It aligns with the vision of the school and with this little that they have learnt today, I am sure we are going to see the evidences. I am sure they will put what they have learnt today into practice.’’
On how the students can strike a balance between learning a skill and their academics, the director of the school said that some of them are already engaged in learning skills after school and weekends.
While commending the government for their efforts in the advancement of education in the state, she stressed the need for government to include technological skills in the school curriculum.
While advising parents to monitor the activities of their children so as to reduce high level of cybercrime among the youth in society, she said: “Everything comes back home. When the parents take up their responsibility effectively and parents are the first and the most constant teachers. Parents are constant in the lives of their children, when they instill good morals in them as the bible has instructed, they will be better. Many of the youths into cybercrime, their parents support them and even do rituals on their behalf.”
On her part, Miss Ebony Ambassadors UK, Rebecca Afolabi advised youths to start off with different types of skills, “the one that you feel like you enjoy the most. It is important to enjoy the skill that you are doing. Find people that can help and assist you.”
