NYSC Enlists Consultant to Retool Corp Members for Employment

The war against unemployment in Nigeria has received a boost with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) national directorate enlisting Smiles Consulting in the bid to help corps members increase their chances of securing quality employment after the mandatory one year national service.

With the move, the NYSC will be working with the human resources consultancy firm, on in-camp sensitisation and post camp training of youth corpers on its Job Awareness and Creation (JAC) initiative.

This strategic partnership, according to Director, Smiles Consulting, Harry Nnoli "is in line with the vision of the incumbent Director-General, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Johnson Olubumi, to increase the impact of the scheme and expand its value to critical stakeholders."

He explains that the relationship between his firm and the NYSC is at no financial cost to the scheme as it is part of his firm’s social responsibility contribution to the nation’s capacity building.

He highlights that some of the services his firm would be rendering free of charge under this partnership will focus on how young corps members can secure jobs in the market after primary assignments, and where this becomes difficult, how they can create jobs, thus becoming self employed.

Nnoli sees this as an expression of confidence on his firm by the NYSC which results from years of working together to enhance the lots of Nigerian youths that pass through the national youth service scheme.

"This is a result of many years of collaboration with the NYSC Directorate on building capacity for the youth and tackling issues of graduate unemployment, underemployment and employability," Nnoli said.

To ensure that no one is left out, JAC activities will be nationwide; across all states orientation camps and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

In a related development, the NYSC has endorsed the book You’re Hired, an employment manual, authored by Nnoli. The author says "the NYSC Directorate has endorsed the book for young graduates and professionals on how to secure and create jobs."