…marks 11 years of transforming lives
The West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE), a non -profit organisation solving the problem of youth unemployment through skill development and employment progamme is committed to upskill 250,000 youngsters in West Africa with employability skills by the year 2028.
Molade Adeniyi, the chief executive officer at WAVE made this known during the organisation’s celebration of its 11th anniversary towards addressing the skills gap in West Africa and empowering individuals with the skills they need to thrive in the job market.
Speaking at the event held recently in Lagos, Adeniyi said the milestone marks over a decade of transformative impact on the lives of young Africans through employability skills training and career empowerment.
“This is to commemorate WAVE’s growth over the past 11 years towards addressing the skills gap in West Africa and empowering individuals with the skills they need to thrive in the job market.
“WAVE will be committed to empowering 250,000 young people with employability skills by 2028 in West Africa,” she said.
Speaking with Business Day, Adeniyi highlighted the major challenges faced by the organisation as the ‘unavailability of adequate funds’.
“Our training is heavily subsidised for us to reach more people but we do not have adequate funding to further our reach.
“We have worked with over eight state governments including Lagos State and other states within the southwest region. We believe that partnership with the government is an extensive platform to reach several people,” she said.
She called out to persons or institutions who would like to join the WAVE community or partner with WAVE to train many more young people in the country.
To commemorate this remarkable achievement, WAVE hosted a celebratory event filled with engaging activities, reflection, and inspiration.
Kingsley Edwin, a member of the admissions department at WAVE, whose role involves sourcing young and hardworking people who could participate in the training, furthermore enumerated the uniqueness of the organisation’s programme.
“WAVE stands out with its concentration on soft skills training, ensuring that even the curriculum focuses on soft and attitudinal skills such as effective communication, time management, problem-solving and emotional intelligence to change the mindset and behavior of trainees towards work,” he noted.
Part of the highlights was the alumni success stories segment, where several graduates of WAVE’s programmes took the stage to share their inspiring journeys.
Chineye Ibeh, the newly-elected president of WAVE alumni executives, explained that the WAVE alumni is a community of alumni from different batches created to connect past trainees to network, get opportunities and communicate on how the alumni can aid in moving the alumni community and WAVE forward.
Ibeh submitted her achievements from the programme, revealing how the soft skills she acquired during her participation helped enormously in her career path in public speaking, managing emotions at work as well as increasing her leadership skills.
Dorbraye Egbedi, one of the alumni, cited the benefits of being a WAVE member saying “WAVE helps you polish your CV and send it to employers. Also, The Alumni community is a platform to connect with other alumni while giving back to WAVE through referrals.”
Other alumni detailed their challenges before joining WAVE, how the skills training programme changed their lives, and the successes they have achieved in their respective industries.
Their testimonies underscored WAVE’s dedication to equipping individuals with the practical skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market.
The celebration also featured the prestigious alumni award presentation, recognising the outstanding accomplishments of select graduates who have made significant contributions to their industries and communities.
The awards not only celebrated individual achievements but also showcased the positive ripple effect the WAVE’s programmes have had across various sectors.
