Prince’s Trust International vows to tackle youth unemployment in Nigeria

The Prince’s Trust International (PTI), a United Kingdom-based charity, has been launched in Nigeria to tackle youth unemployment.

Speaking at the event on Tuesday, Will Straw, CEO of PTI, said the programme will provide opportunities for job seekers to meet employers of labour.

The event, tagged “Get hired recruitment fair”, was organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and Fields of Skills and Dreams (FSD).

Straw said like in many countries, young people in Nigeria face issues of unemployment which are caused by jobs, skills and experience gaps.

He noted that the youths need quality education, requisite skills, and training to match available jobs.

He said the organisation aims to close these gaps by focusing on core life skills and working with the private sector to offer work placements.

“The Prince’s Trust was founded by King Charles III in 1976 when he was Prince of Wales to tackle youth employment in the UK. And it has grown to be the largest youth charity in the UK, helping over one million young people,” Straw said,

“About 10 years ago, he set up Prince Trust International (PTI) to help with youth unemployment challenges around the world. Since that point, we’ve grown to run programmes in 23 countries including Nigeria where we have been working for 18 months.

“I think the challenges in Nigeria are similar to other countries across Africa. There’s a job gap because of demographic changes in the number of young people meaning that many will have to work in the informal economy.

“There’s a skills gap in Nigeria because we note 10 million young people don’t have an education. Many others leave school without the skills to work and there’s also an experience gap because employers say you can’t get a job until you get that experience.

“The thing about Prince’s Trust Programme is that we aim to close those gaps through programmes that focus on skills that young people need in the world of work; things like communication, confidence, problem-solving, teamwork, resilience and so on.

“In the 18 months that we’ve been here, 96 percent of young people on our employability programme have found work within three months.

“Our ambition in Nigeria is to create life-changing opportunities for young people, aiming to directly support tens of thousands of young people in the years ahead and many more indirectly in their families and communities.”

Also speaking, Arunma Oteh, Prince’s Trust International board member, noted the need for the Nigerian government to invest in its youths by creating opportunities for them to succeed.

“Investing in our youth is extremely important. In education, making sure that young people have the kind of skills that they need for work,” she said.

“Investing in the youth is investing in education, employment, and building enterprise. I’m excited about what we’ve been able to achieve in 23 countries in the last 47 years around the world and even more excited about the possibilities in Nigeria because of who we are.

“As Nigerians, we are hardworking, entrepreneurial. Excited that we’re launching a partnership that has already begun with FSD today. I think the possibilities are great for our nation and employers.”