According to less than 3,000 benefiting youths, the various skill acquisition programmes and vocational studies, have become another strategic way used to escape from poverty and unemployment. Even graduates of various higher institutions of learning are using it to conquer unemployment and become employers of labour.
My investigations around Bayelsa State showed that these trainings are basically provided by the State Government, the National Directorate of Employment among others as a deliberate policy to moving Bayelsa away from a consuming to a productive economy. According to the records made available by the State Ministry of Trade Industry and Investment, over 5,000 youths have benefitted from the various skill acquisition and training programmes in the last one year. A total of 1,664 youths have been trained and empowered with starter packs under the Douye Diri Skills Acquisition and Empowerment programme.
Another set of 400 youths were moved in two batches for the integrated farming Training at the CSS Global Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State. Sponsored by the state government, the youths are expected to undergo a two-week intensive training in poultry production, fish farming, plantain/cassava farming, rice/maize farming, feed-mill processing, greenhouse and hydroponics as well as in ruminant fattening, agricultural business and financing among others.