Graduate Guidance Group in partnership with 12 Universities in the United Kingdom (UK) has organised a talent hunt event in Lagos aimed at connecting Nigerian graduates from schools in the UK with prospective employers.
The event tagged, #NGTalentUKEducated2022, created a unique opportunity for employers to engage with Nigerian talents who have acquired international experience through their UK education and experiences studying alongside students from all around the world and are looking to apply their skills and develop their career potential in Nigeria.
Emma Tarrant Tayou, the founder of Graduate Guidance Group, said the mission of the programme is to facilitate interactions between UK graduates and employers in Nigeria to network and hire the best talents for their organisations.
Tayou said universities in the UK are now looking to support their Nigerian graduates by linking them up with the best employers in Nigeria so as to boost the economy of the country.
Tayou said the organisers have launched a mobile app called Career Fair plus, to help digitises the interactions between graduates and employers.
According to her, with the app, the organisers were able to give visibility to some employers who were not able to join physically, but who have expressed a real interest in having access to this particular group of talents.
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She said the technology has enabled them to expand their reach through the adoption of some hybrid models.
Mohammed Elmaghribi, director of student recruitment, at the University of Nottingham, said the event helps universities listen to recruiters and tailor programmes for students that build actual skills required in the world of work after graduating.
On his part, David Mbelu, head of partnerships, at Jobberman Nigeria, said the event helps his organisation, which serves as an intermediary between job seekers and employers, to connect the best graduates with the right employers.
He said that despite the fact that a lot of talents are migrating out of Nigeria, there are still some students who schooled in the UK who are willing to take up jobs in Nigeria.
Mbelu advised young people who are looking to succeed in their place of work to have that continuous learning journey.
“What will keep an employee in an organisation is being flexible enough to learn new skills, open-minded and apply self in the place of work,” he said
Abby Bernards, Lagos State Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission, called on alumni, institutions and employers to use their platforms and positions of influence to enable access to education for all girls by removing barriers to ensure girls can enjoy a meaningful career, including positions of leadership.
Bernards said education remains one of the UK’s priorities as the government in the last 10 years has sponsored over 500 Nigerians to study for master’s degrees through the Chevening Scholarships.
