For many young people, the journey to employment begins long before the first job interview. It starts with access to quality skills training, an opportunity that remains out of reach for many underserved youth due to the high cost of technical and vocational education.
Without practical, market-relevant skills, many young people struggle to compete for available jobs or build viable businesses, even as industries continue to demand skilled workers.
Recognising this challenge, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), through its Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) Programme, is investing in a more sustainable approach to workforce development. Through its TVET Vocational Skills Scholarship Grant, PIND is expanding access to quality technical and vocational education by providing full and partial scholarships that enable underserved youth to acquire industry-relevant skills while strengthening the sustainability of local training institutions.
This commitment was demonstrated as PIND joined L’Ecole Unique Tailoring Institute (LEUTI) Global Limited on July 4, 2026, to celebrate the graduation of 24 beneficiaries who successfully completed six months of intensive training in Fashion Design and Garment Construction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The graduates now join a growing network of young people equipped with practical skills to pursue internships, employment, and entrepreneurship within Nigeria’s growing fashion industry.
Investing in Skills That Create Opportunities
The YEP TVET Vocational Skills Scholarship Grant is designed to remove one of the biggest barriers preventing underserved youth from accessing quality vocational education, which is affordability.
Through a cost-sharing scholarship model, PIND provides partial and full financial support to enable eligible young people to enroll in accredited TVET institutions offering market-driven training. At the same time, the model encourages training providers to strengthen their commercial viability, expand industry partnerships, and deliver programmes that respond to labour market demands.
As one of PIND’s implementing partners, LEUTI has leveraged the scholarship programme to extend quality fashion and garment construction training to more young people who would otherwise have been unable to afford it.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the institute’s founder, HRH. Mrs Edidiong Eshiet expressed appreciation for PIND’s partnership, noting that the scholarship programme has enabled more underserved youth to access professional training while allowing the institute to continue investing in quality instruction, mentorship, and business development support.
“This partnership has allowed us to reach talented young people who may never have had the opportunity to pursue professional fashion training. Beyond graduation, we remain committed to mentoring them as they grow their careers and businesses,” she said.
Building the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
For the 24 graduates, the ceremony marked more than the successful completion of a six-month programme; it marked the beginning of new economic opportunities.
Many of the beneficiaries are expected to transition into internships with established fashion houses, while others have already launched their own fashion businesses. Through continued mentorship and business support provided by LEUTI, graduates will receive guidance to strengthen their enterprises and improve their long-term sustainability.
For one of the graduates, Ms. Ekeoma Praise, the scholarship represented far more than financial assistance.
Unable to afford professional fashion training on her own, she enrolled through the YEP TVET Vocational Skills Scholarship Grant and has since developed the technical and entrepreneurial skills needed to begin building her own business.
“This opportunity has changed my life. I now have the skills and confidence to earn a living doing what I love, and I’m excited about growing my own fashion brand,” she said.
As PIND continues to expand the TVET Vocational Skills Scholarship Grant across the Niger Delta, the Foundation is demonstrating that investing in skills goes beyond supporting individual trainees. By strengthening local training institutions, expanding access to quality vocational education, and connecting young people to employment and enterprise opportunities, the initiative is helping build a more inclusive and resilient workforce for the region.
