The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) through it’s Job Placement and Information Services (JOPIS) organized a one day workshop on Job Interview Techniques, Employment and Entrepreneurship Support Opportunities to Federal University Dutse (FUD) and Jigawa State Polytechnic graduating students. JOPIS is a department initiated by the organization to help teeming unemployed youths with skills of becoming self reliant. In his welcome remarks, the coordinator of the Center in Duste, Ali Sabo welcomed the participants to the workshop and urged them to listen to the presenters with interest and also pass what they learn to others who could not attend the workshop.
In his introduction, the coordinator of the unit Sagir Ado Abubakar stated activities of the unit saying that the main objective of the unit is to gather and sensitize the job seeking youths on the entrepreneurship opportunities as well as properly train them on how to be innovative and develop business plans so that they can benefit from loans and grants opportunities meant for startup businesses. He urged the students to start thinking on how to explore new ideas and be more creative. Hamza Ibrahim who took the participants on the importance of developing a good CV and Interview techniques while advising them to be truthful and state only what they can be able to do and depend in their resumes.
Three presentations were made at the workshop, namely: JOPIS Unit of CITAD and its activities by Sagir Ado of Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Interview Techniques/CV Development: How to Excel and Sale Yourself during interview by Hamza Ibrahim Chinade of the same center, Job Scams and Entrepreneurship Opportunities also by Sagir Ado. All the papers presented dealt extensively with topical issues, and they revolved around pressing areas bedeviling the teeming unemployed graduates and at the same time exposed the participants to think beyond eyeing white color jobs.
The programme ended with vote of thanks by Usman Aliyu, President of Students for Peace, Federal University Duste, he thanked the presenters and the Center for organizing the educating workshop and at the same time advised the participants to start applying what the learned at the workshop immediately and wished everyone a successful journey back to their destinations.

Job Placement and Information Service (JOPIS) of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is a unit that scouts for job and entrepreneurial grants opportunities and disseminate for the benefit of especially the teeming job-seeking youths in the society. The unit has today organized a workshop for the graduating students of Bayero University Kano, Kano state University of Science and Technology (KUST) Wudil, Northwest University Kano, Federal College of Education Kano as well as Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, the participating students were selected from Peace Clubs in their various institutions.

In his welcome remarks, coordinator of the unit Sagiru Ado Abubakar noted that it is one of the objectives of JOPIS to gather and sensitize the job-seeking youths on the entrepreneurship support opportunities as well as properly train them on how to succeed at job interviews, “you may have the qualification but lack the basic knowhow to succeed at interviews, the public sector cannot offer everyone a slot for meal ticket, as such some of us have to establish their own businesses and eventually employ others too, that is why we have a session on grants opportunities in this workshop to guide you on how to initiate business ideas and access startup grants, Sagiru added.

Three sessions were facilitated during the workshop, namely: Interview Techniques: How Best to Succeed at Interviews by Adamu Muhammad of Integrated Corporate Services Kano Regional Office, Enterpreneurship Support Opportunities by Sufyan Lawal Kabo of Digital Film Base Kano and CV Development by Sagiru Ado Abubakar of CITAD. The three sessions have extensively treated essential concepts that are capable of adding value on the graduating students. Commenting, a medical student of BUK Khadija Aliyu Adam said before attending the workshop her perception was that medical students can hardly benefit from entrepreneurship support, but the workshop has completely changed her mindset, also commenting Ahmad Tijjani Zubair of Agricultural Economics and Extension (another BUK student) said the workshop really opened his eyes to start practicalizing the business ideas he has.

It could be recalled that JOPIS has organized a similar workshop on 19th January this year for interns and volunteers of the organization. A total number of sixty (60) students participated in the workshop from the five tertiary institutions, the workshop ended with a closing remark offered by Senior Programmes Officer Kabiru Saidu Dakata of the Center for Information technology and Development (CITAD).

The Job Placement and Information Service (JOPIS) unit of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organized a workshop for the students of Alqalam University and Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Katsina on how they can secure loans or grants from either governments initiatives, Bank of Industry, foundations and wealthy individuals in order start their own businesses and become self reliant, the workshop also prepared the participants on how they can pass employment interviews alongside mastering the secrets of developing a winning Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume.

Giving his welcome remarks, Huzaifa Yakubu Musa of CITAD expressed optimism with the turnout of the participants and observed that the workshop is timely considering the present situation of unemployment and a growing number of graduates emerging from various institutions that he said government alone cannot accommodate as such engaging in entrepreneurial activities will be a way out as well as make the youths realize their potentials by initiating different businesses, he urged the participants to consider the workshop as a challenge and engage in various self reliant businesses.

Three presentations were made, the first being “Developing a Winning CV and Employment Interview Techniques” by Mr. Ahmadu Adamu, the regional manager of outsourcing company Integrated Corporate Services which is based in Kano, the second “Job Scams” facilitated by Sagiru Ado Abubakar, the coordinator, Job Placement and Information Service (JOPIS) and the third “Enterpreneurship Support Sources” by Hamza Ibrahim, a research assistant with CITAD. All the presentations treated various relevant concepts.

The participants have asked many questions and made comments and suggestions, some of them appreciated CITAD for organizing the workshop while others observed that the next time a workshop like that will be organized they want business proposal writing be included as many students have sound business ideas but to carefully develop a proposal for them is a problem. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks and a group picture of the facilitators and the participants.

 

After conducting Interview Techniques and Entrepreneurship Support Opportunities Workshop for graduating students of Bayero University Kano, Northwest University, Kano state Polytechnic, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Federal University Dutse and Jigawa state Polytechnic, the Job Placement and Information Service (JOPIS) unit of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organized another similar workshop for the students of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) and Federal Polytechnic Bauchi.

The workshop which took place at the Bauchi office of CITAD exposes the participants into various skills that help job seekers succeed at employment interviews and entrepreneurship support opportunities in form of loans and grants for startup businesses in order for the youths to become self reliant. Earlier in his opening remarks, JOPIS Coordinator, Sagir Ado Abubakar urged the participants to feel free and ask questions where necessary as the workshop is meant to prepare towards becoming innovative entrepreneurs or succeed at employment interviews.

Facilitating a session on Interview Techniques and CV Development, Mr. Ahmadu Adamu, the regional manager of Integrated Corporate Services encouraged the participants to always take their time to develop a “Winning CV” that will sell them before their prospective employers and prepare well and adhere to ethics and skills of attending an employment interview emphasizing that it is a foundation for securing a job.

Some people use the unemployment scenario to dupe gullible and desperate youths in search of employment, said Sagiru Ado Abubakar who presented on “Job Scams”. Sagiru identified several tricks used by 419ers such as asking for payment for appointment, interviews, lacking concrete and verifiable address by the scammers, using fake identity on social networking sites, having no websites etc, he warned the participants to beware of dubious people who normally lure job seekers with fake claims.

The last session on “Enterpreneurship Support Opportunities” was facilitated by Hamza Ibrahim. The participants were presented with series of entrepreneurial support opportunities sources as well as procedures and requirements for applying. The facilitator explained in detail the thousands of untapped business ideas that can be utilized by the participants and get some grants or loans to startup their own businesses. The participants asked many questions regarding the qualification of a business to win grants or secure loans, and whether or not graduating students of Urban and Regional Planning can establish estate management service and can have a grant to startup etc. The questions and comments were clarified by the facilitator. Websites of grants and loan sources were given to the participants and many of them indicated interest in developing business ideas and applying for grants or loans in order to become self reliant.