The Delta State Government has said that the State Job and Wealth Creation Bureau was established to plan and execute job and wealth creation programmes aimed at curbing youth unemployment through skills acquisition and economic empowerment.
The Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, stated this while declaring open the mentor to mentee (M2M) briefing session organized by the Directorate of Youths Monitoring and Mentoring, (DYMM) at the Press Centre, Government House, Asaba.
Chief Ukah said the mentors would provide psychosocial support, guidance and free business advisory services to help the mentees grow into successful entrepreneurs as well as to ensure the success and sustainability of the state job and wealth creation schemes.
He urged the mentors to take the briefing seriously and thanked them for taking time out of their busy schedule to share knowledge and experience on how to mentor the young entrepreneurs.
The SSG noted that this initiative was Okowa’s administration’s effort at deepening the human capital development programme as a cardinal principle of the SMART Agenda towards a Stronger Delta with focus on the youths.
Chief Ukah also noted that the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) and the Youth Agriculture and Business Enterprises Programme (YAGEP) run by the office of Job Creation Officer has helped youths in the state to become self employed business owners which in turn has generated employment for other youths.
In their separate remarks, the Finance Commissioner, Chief Fidelis Tilije, Youths Development Commissioner, Mr. Ifeanyi Egwuyenga, Information Commissioner, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, Chief Job Creation Officer, Professor Eric Eboh, and the Director General, State Bureau of Orientation, Barrister Eugene Uzum, urged the mentors to take the mentors briefing session seriously to enable them impact positive knowledge on the mentees.
They noted that the position of the mentors as the ambassadors of the state was a huge responsibility and urged them to be knowledgeable enough to partner with the mentees as well as guide, support and provide the necessary back up for them.
Earlier, in his remarks, the facilitator of the programme and Director General, Directorate of Youth Monitoring and Mentoring, Elder Eddy Mekwunye, stated that the State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, found it exceedingly worthwhile to create jobs for the youths due to the state of unemployment in the country.
Elder Mekwunye went on to express profound gratitude and appreciation to the mentors even as he stated that no amount of money paid will be commensurate with the efforts and expertise they exhibit.
He encouraged them to maintain what has been started as the sustainability of the exercise is tantamount to its success.
