Y’ello Care: MTN Nigeria Boosts Youth Employability with Career Workshop

The workshop brought together youths looking to advance their careers as well as a seasoned career coach, Kola Oluyemi, who shared his wealth of experience, advice and guidance. Additionally, participants were able to gain career insights through coaching, and career action plans for success, which will enable them to continuously outperform expectations.

A 2021 report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), revealed that Nigeria’s unemployment rate had risen from 27.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, to 33 per cent by the fourth quarter. Unemployment for people aged 15 to 24 stood at 53.4 per cent in the fourth quarter and at 37.2 per cent for people aged 25 to 34. This shows that ‘more than 80 per cent of Nigeria’s working-age population is younger than 34. Through the workshop, MTN Nigeria aims to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.

During the workshop, seasoned HR professional, Kola Oluyemi, shared insights on the flexibilities in the world of work, and the need for youths to continue to upskill themselves. “Today, the world of work has changed. It is more flexible and there’s a need for increased collaboration tools. As individuals, it is important to up your competitiveness to be able to position yourself for the role you want. By doing this, you should be willing to learn. Pay any price for self-development and stay open to learning new things,” he said.

Buttressing his point, Oluyemi explained how crafting a good CV can make a difference. He added, “while learning is key, being strategic about job applications is also important. And a way to do this is to have a good CV. Your CV is your reputation on paper. What you write in your CV would determine whether an interview would be granted.”

This year’s Y’ello Care theme tagged “Empowering Communities to Drive Economic Recovery”, seeks to inspire MTN employees to rise to the challenge of upskilling local communities through digital skills training, to boost economic activity and involvement. Some projects MTN Nigeria has executed over the years through its Y’ello care initiative include; an E-library set-up in some secondary schools across Nigeria, an ICT and business skills programme, and career development training for Youth.

MTN is committed to adding economic value by contributing to society through its programs focused on education, digital skills and training. By organizing this workshop, the company strives to ensure it continues to strengthen and uplift community members in their pursual of economic development.