Kunle Adelabu
-As Agency for Mass Education takes campaign across Ikorodu
Young men and women in Ikorodu, who are out of school and others who are not productively engaged have been asked to enroll at the Etunrenren Vocational Centre to acquire various skills free and make a living for themselves.
The Head and trainees at the centre urging residents to take advantage of the free acquisition of knowledge and skills, said that it has been success stories all the way as the centre has records of turning trainees to professionals.
This was the message on Thursday, when staff and students of the Etunrenren Vocational Centre under the Agency for Mass Education, took to the street on sensitization exercise on the Lagos State Government owned centre where tailoring, fashion designing, catering, digital skills and phone repairs and many other skills are being offered to young and adult trainees.
The rally, which started at the Agric bus stop where the staff and students of the centre engaged large number of residents, moved along the Ikorodu road and stopped at every junction for the distribution of leaflets and engagement of residents on why they should enroll or register their children or wards.
The sensitization, which was also extended to the popular Benson bus stop and the Ikorodu garage roundabout, also went through the Ayangbure Road, Etunrenren Road, Allison Street and Solomade community.
Mrs Olaide Oladunjoye, a Deputy Director of Education, Agency for Mass Education, Lagos State and Head, Etunrenren Vocational Training Centre, Ikorodu, said that the sensitization exercise was aimed at urging residents to leverage on the various vocational trainings that are available free at the centre.
“The exercise is about sensitizing the residents of Ikorodu and its environs about the presence of Etuntrenren Vocational Training Centre where young people and adult can leverage and take opportunity to learn various skills. The centre is owned by the Lagos State Government. We teach tailoring, fashion designing, catering, digital skills and phone repairing and many other skills”, she said.
“We have been touring the nooks and crannies of Ikorodu, to tell residents about this centre. The Lagos State Government has put it in place and engaged instructors who teach free of charge. People should come and learn skills.
“The era of “I have nothing doing and staying at home from morning till night” is gone. You can use your hand work to make income for yourself. We teach them skills for three, six and nine months. After this, they are done and become professionals.
“Even with your degree certificates, you are still going about looking for job, you can come around to learn a skill and make a living for yourself. That’s why we have been going around to sensitise people and we care telling them to tell others about the school. That is why we have a massive number of staff and students outside for the sensitization”, she said.
The Assistant Director said that the centre has recorded several success stories of his trainees, and assured the public that they would have adequate training that would make them valuable in the labour market and be job providers.
“If I begin to tell you that our story has been that of success, success and success, it will be as if we are trying to blow our own trumpets, but the reality is that our story has been a case of success all the way. We were actually located in Igbo – Oluwo, in a rented hall, but since government has put in a government building (within the Etunrenren Primary School), it has been wonderful. The story has been success all the way. We have trained people to the extent that some of them have gone outside the shore of the country and doing us proud”, she said.
“We have trained people who are working in five – star hotels. We can beat our chest to say that what we are doing at the centre is of international standard. Our trainees will fit into anywhere in the world and they are already doing that. What more can we say?”, she asked rhetorically.
She emphasized that the registration and training at the centre is free while stating that interested individuals should register for the next session which begins in January.
“The next session resumes in January. As soon as all schools in Lagos State, resume, we also resume”, she said.
“The policy of education in Lagos State, is tuition free and our registration here too is free and all that they need to do when coming is to bring their passport photograph and that of whoever will be their guarantor. It’s free, they should just come by themselves to register”.
Trainees at the centre, who also spoke with THE IMPACT, spoke glowingly of what they have acquired within a short period of time, and urged those that have nothing doing to take advantage of the free vocational training.
Busari Ismail Damilare of the Department of Phone Repair and Digital Skills, who was admitted into the centre in August, said that he has been able to acquired quality training.
“I did not know anything about phone repair until I got to the Etunrenren Vocational Centre, and my story has changed. I can do the separation of screens, charging point and I can fix a lot of stuff and even find solution to phones that fall into water”, he said.
“I will advise anyone at home doing nothing, to come to our vocational centre to acquire knowledge. The place is not for play at all. Our instructors are okay and are helping us with their knowledge.
Adeyemi Roddiat, who was admitted in September and planning to be fashion designer, also described the training at the centre of high quality.
“I have been at the centre since September, and I know what I have gained. We have the best of instructors at the centre. In fact, people need to come and see the value here. The instructors and principal are very friendly”.
Another trainee, Bamitefa Boluwatife, who is admitted into the Barbing Department, in his own response, also have good words to say about the centre.
“I didn’t know anything about barbing before coming to this vocational centre but since I started, I have acquired necessary knowledge and knows a lot of things. This school has given me adequate knowledge about barbing and I will advise those at home to come here and learn one or two things, so that they will not be useless to themselves and the country”, he said.
