The Graduate Internship Scheme, GIS, screening commences Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd of July, 2016 at the UJ Esuene stadium, Calabar at 9:00am prompt. The screening was attended by the directors from the office of the Special Adviser, SA, on Job Placement, Head of Service and other panels, namely; Lillian, and Mr. John. Also conducting and coordinating the screening was Mr. Ita Effiong Okon, Managing Director, MD, Endlink Investment Limited who gave a vivid description of the internship programme.
Graduate Internship Scheme, GIS, created by the Federal Government, FG, is to enable unemployed graduates to leave their homes, to be mentored for them to have work experience, since most graduates are not taken when they go for interview because of no working experience. Throughout the scheme, stipends will be paid, and it is paid directly to the graduates running the intern.
What Cross River State Government, CRSG, is doing is to ensure not to lose their slot, for if the state allows the FG to come to conduct the screening; the state might lost some slots. So, the state is doing this to secure whatever number of slots that will be allotted to Cross River State, CRS. Since the FG is the custodian of the project, the state will in time wait for the FG to give the final order. For what the state is just doing a selection to make an appeal to the FG, so to let them know their people.
Addressing the graduates, the SA on Job Placement, Mr. Ejemot William Esu said, at the end of the screening, whatever the state is vying for, they’ll surely have it.
Mr. Ejemot in his remarks said; “I’ll like to advice all graduates here that, there’s and Empowerment programme known as N-POWER ongoing, please do try and register for it too. For I got a letter from the Special Adviser to the President on Job Placement that CRS have to register for it too. Though at the end of the day, the GIS may stand or the N-POWER may come up.
“After now, some of us here might have registered for the N-POWER, so, I’ll advice those that haven’t to try and register, for at the end I believe every one of us here will benefit from this programme.
“I’ll advice everyone to be very straight forward, very obedient and I also apologise for coming late too. Mr. Ejemot added.”
Also addressing the graduates was the Permanent Secretary to the Head of Service, Mrs. Geraldine Akpet Ekannem, who said the Head of Service would have loved to come, but he’s attending an official meeting in Abuja.
Addressing the graduates, Mrs.Ekannem said, the pain of unemployment is a very serious issue that is troubling the state, not just His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade, but everyone including all parents, since they are parents too.
In her speech, Mrs AKpet said; “Practically all of us have unemployed graduates at home, so we’re concern about it. That is why we have tried in so many ways to bring out projects like the Green Police, Garment Factory, hoping that, at least, through those special purpose vehicles, we can reduce the number of unemployed graduates in CRS.
“Be that as it may, you know that in the Civil Service, gradually people are retiring from there. But because of the new cost of the State Government and the economic crunch which we’re presently experiencing in Nigeria, it is not easy to employ. However, our conducting a Man Power analysis is to know the areas of need in that state.” She said.
The final screening will be taking place on Friday 22nd July, 2016 at the UJ Esuene stadium by 9:00am prompt.
Check out more photos from the event below…
