The grant signing ceremony for the second year of the Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) project in Delta State took place on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at PIND’s Economic Development Centre (EDC) in Warri, Delta State.
Twelve implementing partners signed the grant agreement and were onboarded for the second year – 9 were old implementing partners in the first year.
785 participants will be trained in technical and soft skills in agriculture, ICT, construction (and renewable energy), and services (catering, fashion designing, finished leather).
The first phase of the project launched in September 2021. Nine competitively selected, highly competent implementing partners received a N71 million grant to equip nearly 600 youth with market relevant skills for work and job creation.
PIND created the Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) project in 2018 to develop models of youth training in which marginalized young people are trained in market-relevant skills and subsequently supported into sustainable jobs or enterprises. The project’s pilot phase took off in three states: Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom.
Between 2018 and 2021, the project has empowered 4,407 youths with market-relevant skills in ICT, fashion, leatherworks, aquaculture, construction, and other sectors. Some successful participants have moved on to immediate waged employment or gained support to commence innovative enterprises of their own.
Below are the implementing partners and sectors for the second phase of YEP in Delta State.
| Implementing Partner Organizations 2022 | |||
| Name of Organization | Sector / Technical Skills | Location (Delta State) | No. of Trainees |
| Fotoafrik International | ICT / Media production (Photography and Video creation) | Warri | 40 |
| NerdzFactory Company | ICT / Graphics Design Training | Asaba | 50 |
| Olotu Square | ICT / Graphics Design, Hardware Maintenance & Networking, Digital Marketing | Asaba & Warri | 100 |
| Start Innovation Foundation | ICT / Hardware maintenance, repairs and digital marketing, Construction / Capentry &Woodwork, Electrical Installation, Services / Tailoring & Fashion, Catering & Decoration | Warri | 60 |
| Aqua Green Integrated Farm support initiative (AGI) | Agriculture / Fish Farming, Poultry & Snail Rearing | Asaba & Warri | 120 |
| Azure Gold Ltd. | Construction / Cabinetry (Kitchen cabinets & wardrobes), Aluminium Profiling Works, Tiling/Plumbing, Painting/Wall Finishing & POP Installation | Asaba | 65 |
| The Footwear Academy | Services / Leatherworks | Warri | 30 |
| Asteven Renewable Energy Academy. | Services / Solar panel installation & Inverter Maintenance | Warri | 40 |
| AMY6015 Global Enterprise | Services / Tailoring & Fashion Design | Warri | 40 |
| Innovation Growth Hub | ICT / Graphics Design, Networking, Digital Marketing | Asaba | 65 |
| Coriftech Solutions Ltd. | ICT / Graphics Design & Photography Training | Asaba & Agbor | 75 |
| Doctor Fish Agric Consult | Agriculture / Fish Farming & Poultry | Ughelli & Udu | 100 |
| 785 | |||
