By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Chapter, has organised a two-day vocational skills training as part of efforts to boost the means of livelihood of members
Mr Ojo Monday, ASUP Chairman, YABATECH Chapter, said that the training, the maiden edition, was farm-related, of which the government encouraged civil servants to engage in outside working hours.
Monday said that the turnout of members, who were organised as part of fulfilment of the Board’s manifesto, was impressive.
“We are committed to our members and must deliver our promises.”
He said that adequate arrangement will be put in place to make the training an annual programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training, which recorded no fewer than 150 members of the union/members of staff, was held at New SAMBS, YABATECH and had Abanigbe Samuel as the Guest Lecturer.
“The economy is so fragile that our salary hardly sustains us, so there is need to find another means of sustaining ourselves, which is what this training is all about.”
He said that the participants, who were divided into groups according to skills, had practical training on various vocational skill on the first day.
Day two was centred on training/workshop on Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Loan Acquisition and Business Management.
“Farming is the in-thing now being the focus of the training.
“We had practical aspect of fish farming, poultry, biogas, bakery, pure water business, vegetable plantations, avocado, paint making.
“And the idea is to encourage members not to solely rely on salary but to start something so as to be self-reliant, generate additional income but not at the detriment of their primary job.
“Since they’re still in service, they can do their farming at weekend, spare time or better still, have someone that will be assisting in the business,” the ASUP Chairman added.
Speaking earlier, Uduak Inyang-Udoh, Acting Rector of YABATECH, who was represented by Adefemi Lawal, an Architect and Dean of Environmental Studies, advised members of staff who participated in the training to have additional sources of income regardless of its size.
He charged the participants to make best use of the training to build skills for themselves and something that will fall back on even after they have left service.
Also, Mr Aderohunmu Olusoji, Chief Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, YABATECH, in his remark commended the Monday-led board of ASUP for the initiative and for living up to expectations on its manifesto during campaign.
Earlier, Mr Hassan Temidayo, Welfare Officer of ASUP, YABATECH Chapter, said the idea behind the day-two of the training was to further educate members on ways to finance/actualise the businesses.
Temidayo said: “Today we have experts in the field of SME to teach us and throw more light because there is difference between knowing a vocation and knowing about the rudiments of managing the business”.
The welfare officer who advised the beneficiaries to develop skills learnt, even in their closet, said it would go a long way to help them get established in a business ahead of retirement.
He noted that there would be a follow-up for evaluation to get information on the level of progress on the outcome of the training.
“We expect our members that have benefited from this training to initiate a business on their areas of interest, as one stream of income cannot solve our our problems as it is now,” he added. (NAN)
