The After School Graduate Development Center (AGDC), sponsored by the TY Danjuma Foundation, yesterday, raised the alarm over what it described as the deplorable state of the education sector in Edo State, saying that from the survey carried out by the organization, the educational sector in the state would have collapsed if not for the assistance of NYSC members.
The group described as imbalance in the posting of teachers and construction of school buildings in urban and rural areas in the state despite the enormous infrastructural investment in the education sector in the state, asserting that if things continue in this manner, the state may not be able to produce employable graduates in the nearest future.
In a communiqué by the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Director of AGDC, Jennifer Obado and the Project Coordinator, TYDF/AGDC, Brian Orji, the Foundation said students teacher ratio in the rural area was an average of 160 students to one teacher while in the urban areas, it was a case of one teacher to 40 to 50 students, an indication that there were more teachers in the urban than rural areas.
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The group also observed that most of the staff in secondary schools in the rural areas are members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) whose services were paid for by the schools' Parents Teachers Association (PTA).They observed that secondary schools were being grossly underfunded in the state with a monthly grant of between N4, 000 to N7, 000 depending on the location of the school just as they lamented the dilapidated state of buildings in most secondary schools visited in 10 of the 18 local government councils selected for the research.
Meanwhile, 2,000 students from 14 institutions, including secondary and tertiary institutions in the state, have benefited from the Wing Community Development Project, sponsored by the T.Y. Danjuma Foundation.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
AGDC on CNN iReport
In furtherance of our mandate to equip Nigeria's youth for the global market, Nigeria's foremost career centre has launced its unique profile on CNN ireport.
Express Yourself; Post your Comment on AGDC... Checkout the latest post on AGDC profile on CNN;
http://ireport.cnn.com/people/AGDC
Express Yourself; Post your Comment on AGDC... Checkout the latest post on AGDC profile on CNN;
http://ireport.cnn.com/people/AGDC
Landing Your Dream Job...1
I have heard so much from graduates about how difficult, competitive and congested the labour market is. The tales of woes and misery never stops. Interestingly, I disagree! I know you might say I have a job, am not a fresh graduate et al, but we have graduates who have landed their dream jobs without the ‘you must know someone’ syndrome! Everyday people get hired and some get fired.
The job market maybe difficult but it’s not impossible. There is more to a job search than mere sending out resumes, writing cover letters and attending interviews. It's not that simple as there are more applicants than available jobs at any point in time. That is a given. Besides, these jobs are going to be filled by the best. You not only have to be competitive, you have to be super-competitive and be ready to make a strong positive impression on every HR manager.
At present, there are so many facets to a job search. Averagely, when we think of beginning a job search, most of us have the idea of browsing various job search engines, find positions that match our desire, and email our latest resume; Q.E.D! However, have you thought of the number of applicants that one advert can attract? How then are you going to differentiate yourself from the volumes of other applicants who are also attempting to obtain the same position? The answer is simple; You need to be strategic! Deviate from the norm.
It's time to adjust our thinking when applying for a job, from being "an applicant," to actively marketing your skills and experience! When you approach job search from a marketing perspective, with a strategic plan, you find that you'll land that job in no time. Dare to be different. It’s high time you treated your job search as a full time job! The difference is that your Job Description will be; spotting hidden vacancies, preparing for aptitude tests, interviews, amongst others. Your salary at the end of the ‘Job Search’ is you getting the job! Resumption time will be 8am and you close at 5pm as if you have the job already.
Difficult times, they say, require drastic measures. I’ve developed a low-risk, high-gain plan to land your dream job. However, I won’t go into details this week. We will continue next week. I’ll like to reiterate that registration for the AGDC High Potential (HiPO) Graduate Program is still on. The HiPO program is geared towards building global talent locally, and raising a new generation of leaders for Nigeria’s economy and industries. It is an opportunity for graduates to launch their careers on a fast track, and be empowered to excel and add value to the companies they work in. The program has been structured to meet the employers' needs, develop insights and strategies to find gainful employment in this competitive job market. For enquiries and feedback, kindly call Bolanle on 0702977474 or send an email bolanleokunuga@graddev.com.
Don’t allow your career to take a "back-seat" during this tough economy; it's time to become a proactive job seeker! The true secret to landing your dream job, is moving your perspective from a passive job applicant, to an effective career skills marketer. Till next week, don't waste time chasing postings on job boards. Be strategic, be different.
The job market maybe difficult but it’s not impossible. There is more to a job search than mere sending out resumes, writing cover letters and attending interviews. It's not that simple as there are more applicants than available jobs at any point in time. That is a given. Besides, these jobs are going to be filled by the best. You not only have to be competitive, you have to be super-competitive and be ready to make a strong positive impression on every HR manager.
At present, there are so many facets to a job search. Averagely, when we think of beginning a job search, most of us have the idea of browsing various job search engines, find positions that match our desire, and email our latest resume; Q.E.D! However, have you thought of the number of applicants that one advert can attract? How then are you going to differentiate yourself from the volumes of other applicants who are also attempting to obtain the same position? The answer is simple; You need to be strategic! Deviate from the norm.
It's time to adjust our thinking when applying for a job, from being "an applicant," to actively marketing your skills and experience! When you approach job search from a marketing perspective, with a strategic plan, you find that you'll land that job in no time. Dare to be different. It’s high time you treated your job search as a full time job! The difference is that your Job Description will be; spotting hidden vacancies, preparing for aptitude tests, interviews, amongst others. Your salary at the end of the ‘Job Search’ is you getting the job! Resumption time will be 8am and you close at 5pm as if you have the job already.
Difficult times, they say, require drastic measures. I’ve developed a low-risk, high-gain plan to land your dream job. However, I won’t go into details this week. We will continue next week. I’ll like to reiterate that registration for the AGDC High Potential (HiPO) Graduate Program is still on. The HiPO program is geared towards building global talent locally, and raising a new generation of leaders for Nigeria’s economy and industries. It is an opportunity for graduates to launch their careers on a fast track, and be empowered to excel and add value to the companies they work in. The program has been structured to meet the employers' needs, develop insights and strategies to find gainful employment in this competitive job market. For enquiries and feedback, kindly call Bolanle on 0702977474 or send an email bolanleokunuga@graddev.com.
Don’t allow your career to take a "back-seat" during this tough economy; it's time to become a proactive job seeker! The true secret to landing your dream job, is moving your perspective from a passive job applicant, to an effective career skills marketer. Till next week, don't waste time chasing postings on job boards. Be strategic, be different.
Monday, April 11, 2011
AGDC Launches its Alumni Network!
The After School Graduate Development Centre, (AGDC) has launched an Alumni Network for all participants of its programs. Membership to this network is limited to individuals who are Samsung Real Dreams Alumni or/and individuals who have attended any of our training programs.
Membership Benefits include:
• Quarterly Online Career Newsletter
• Inclusion in AGDC recruitment Database
• Mentorship Opportunities
• Free Invitation to AGDC's roundtable discussions
• Free Invitation to AGDC Quarterly CEO Forum
• Discount for use of AGDC training facilities
• Volunteering opportunities
• Networking Opportunities
And so much more........
To register: Send a mail with your Name, Phone number, Occupation & Company to jenniferjoel@graddev.com
Membership Benefits include:
• Quarterly Online Career Newsletter
• Inclusion in AGDC recruitment Database
• Mentorship Opportunities
• Free Invitation to AGDC's roundtable discussions
• Free Invitation to AGDC Quarterly CEO Forum
• Discount for use of AGDC training facilities
• Volunteering opportunities
• Networking Opportunities
And so much more........
To register: Send a mail with your Name, Phone number, Occupation & Company to jenniferjoel@graddev.com
Monday, March 14, 2011
UNIBEN Students Thanks TY Danjuma Foundation
AGDC/TYDF UNIBEN W.I.N.G.S TRAINING PROGRAM
28th February – 4th March 2011
The W.I.N.G.S training continued into its second week and lectures kick started on Monday 28th February with facilitators; Tunde Ojikutu and Tunji Alao taking participants through; An Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Basic ICT Skills respectively. The day after, Tuesday, the duo of Tunde Ojikutu and Tunji Alao continued with topics; The Interview Process as well as Entrepreneurship and Social Networking.
At the end of day two, trainees were so appreciative of Mr Ojikutu’s class, they insisted of taking group pictures with him after the sessions. And having learnt how to manage their online image from Mr Tunji Alao, participants were in a hurry to change unprofessional e-mail addresses and implicating pictures and comments from their online profiles. It was as clear as day; attitudinal changes had occurred.
Wednesday 2nd March, the various groups into which trainees had been divided sharpened their presentation skills among others when they came up to present sector specific business proposals to the rest of their classmates. Sessions were moderated by Brian Oji who helped the ‘businessmen’ with creative and instructive ways to package their businesses in an open market for real profit.
Participants deserve commendations on how much effort they put into the entire program, groups prepared tirelessly and on presentation day most of them showed up with interesting ‘company’ branding antics. From branded bust tags to uniform outfits, the presentations were very colourful, educating and incisive. They gave me an opportunity to appraise the business intelligence of trained Nigerian graduates and like it has been proven, time and again, a little guidance can make our youths come up with wonderful solutions to our business and life problems.
Details about the groups are as follows;
S/N Group Name Leader Sector
1 Dunamis Incorporated Anjorin Babajide Social Networking
2 Strat-Net Corporation Okoh Jimoh Fashion
3 Rev X Strategies Rowland Aigbogun Banking
4 Dynamic Corporation Avwioroko David Entertainment
5 Excel Group Oghobaghase Ceasar Branding
6 Eagles Inc. Ikharea Vera Efe Social Networking
7 I-Ternal Corporation Eromosele Austin Banking
8 The Strategists Omozuwa Roland Youth Advocacy
9 Beacons Intl. Kingsley Ifoga Fashion
10 Brains Int. Incorporated Oubure Godbless Oil and Gas
11 Midas Touch Jibunoh Chinenye Education
12 Acme Alliance Onore Martins Entertainment
13 Pacesetters Inc. Dafe Steve Youth Advocacy
14 De Classique Azeke Daniel Food Services
15 Lead Giants Inc. Agbamoro Michael Oil and Gas
14 G.A.T.E Inc. Yukwe Emmanuel Youth Advocacy
Group presentations were held for all groups on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd March 2011.
Then on Friday, despite their delayed flights (see bullet points below), facilitators; Mr Sam Gemegah and Mr Emmanuel Bright handled sessions on Small Business Accounting and Creative Thinking&problem Solving respectively.
Important Information
• Eagles Incorporated proposed an online social network that connects university students from all across the country called ; TertConnectt. They have now gone ahead to create the website online and it is live right now; the URL is http://tertconnecttt.socialgo.com/. I think that is very commendable.
• Facilitator, Tunji Alao had his 9:15 class on Basic ICT shifted to 12:15 because he missed the Arik 7:30 am flight to Benin and had to wait for the 11:30 am flight. He however explained that the delay was caused because the public address system in the wing of the Lagos local airport, where he had been sitting for over an hour before takeoff was bad. As such he did not hear the boarding announcement. Arik apologised for this and put him on the 11:30am flight without the ‘no-show’ surcharge.
• On Friday 4th March, Arik moved their regular 7:30am flight to 9:30am for logistic reasons. And two of our facilitators; Mr Sam Gemegah and Mr Emmanuel Bright were delayed therefore; they however arrived the training venue at about 11:30am to take their sessions. The early spare time was effectively utilised by participants as they watched informative videos and discussed their experiences during the training program.
• On Friday 4th March, training sessions rounded off at 3:00pm instead of the regular 1:45pm because of the facilitators’ time of arrival.
Pay-it-Forward project
Participants have been mobilised into functional groups and would start submitting their Pay-it-Forward project plans from Monday, 7th March 2011.
Internship
On the issue of Internship, over 60% of the participants would be travelling to Lagos after the training. Do we then seek internship placement for these ones in Lagos?
The second week of the Wing’s training was momentous and inspiring and all the members of my volunteer team were very agile to the vision throughout. I thank Seyi Babatunde, Adejumo Ibukun, Nkiru Nwaorgu, Egbon Edosa and Susan Chukwuedo.
In addition, I have here some feedback mails from the participants themselves; please read;
“Schools come and schools go but there would never be one like Wings!”
– Nweke McDuke (I-Ternal Corporation)
“ With heart full of gratitude I say thanks for the provision you made available to us this week. The task brought out my real potential, reminding me of my strengths and the need to maximize it. The training so far, has made me identify where and how to begin my career, giving me a good reason why I should propel forward without fear. It has really impressed upon me the need for a continuous personal appraisal evaluation of myself with a view to implementing all I am learning so as to attain the maximum benefit. For this very reason, I say THANKS A LOT.”
- Vera Efe, IKHAREA (C.E.O, Eagles incorporated)
“Before, i use to ask myself where i belong in d society but now i know or at least have an idea where i belong. Thanks to AGDC.”
– Anavenwu Mercy (The Strategists)
“I have now been upgraded to a higher level in all spheres of my life.
All thanks to AGDC. I'm being daily convinced that everything is working for my good.”
– Faith Innocent (Excel Group)
“My experience these past few days has been one filled with a series of
‘wows’ and superlatives that are a mile long. The quality of the
speakers are simply out of this world- most of them being HR heads
and top management staffs if not CEO’s. You should know that there are very few times my time has been better spent, than at this WINGS training. I remain grateful.
THANK YOU.”
- Omadudu M.Charles (The Strategists)
28th February – 4th March 2011
The W.I.N.G.S training continued into its second week and lectures kick started on Monday 28th February with facilitators; Tunde Ojikutu and Tunji Alao taking participants through; An Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Basic ICT Skills respectively. The day after, Tuesday, the duo of Tunde Ojikutu and Tunji Alao continued with topics; The Interview Process as well as Entrepreneurship and Social Networking.
At the end of day two, trainees were so appreciative of Mr Ojikutu’s class, they insisted of taking group pictures with him after the sessions. And having learnt how to manage their online image from Mr Tunji Alao, participants were in a hurry to change unprofessional e-mail addresses and implicating pictures and comments from their online profiles. It was as clear as day; attitudinal changes had occurred.
Wednesday 2nd March, the various groups into which trainees had been divided sharpened their presentation skills among others when they came up to present sector specific business proposals to the rest of their classmates. Sessions were moderated by Brian Oji who helped the ‘businessmen’ with creative and instructive ways to package their businesses in an open market for real profit.
Participants deserve commendations on how much effort they put into the entire program, groups prepared tirelessly and on presentation day most of them showed up with interesting ‘company’ branding antics. From branded bust tags to uniform outfits, the presentations were very colourful, educating and incisive. They gave me an opportunity to appraise the business intelligence of trained Nigerian graduates and like it has been proven, time and again, a little guidance can make our youths come up with wonderful solutions to our business and life problems.
Details about the groups are as follows;
S/N Group Name Leader Sector
1 Dunamis Incorporated Anjorin Babajide Social Networking
2 Strat-Net Corporation Okoh Jimoh Fashion
3 Rev X Strategies Rowland Aigbogun Banking
4 Dynamic Corporation Avwioroko David Entertainment
5 Excel Group Oghobaghase Ceasar Branding
6 Eagles Inc. Ikharea Vera Efe Social Networking
7 I-Ternal Corporation Eromosele Austin Banking
8 The Strategists Omozuwa Roland Youth Advocacy
9 Beacons Intl. Kingsley Ifoga Fashion
10 Brains Int. Incorporated Oubure Godbless Oil and Gas
11 Midas Touch Jibunoh Chinenye Education
12 Acme Alliance Onore Martins Entertainment
13 Pacesetters Inc. Dafe Steve Youth Advocacy
14 De Classique Azeke Daniel Food Services
15 Lead Giants Inc. Agbamoro Michael Oil and Gas
14 G.A.T.E Inc. Yukwe Emmanuel Youth Advocacy
Group presentations were held for all groups on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd March 2011.
Then on Friday, despite their delayed flights (see bullet points below), facilitators; Mr Sam Gemegah and Mr Emmanuel Bright handled sessions on Small Business Accounting and Creative Thinking&problem Solving respectively.
Important Information
• Eagles Incorporated proposed an online social network that connects university students from all across the country called ; TertConnectt. They have now gone ahead to create the website online and it is live right now; the URL is http://tertconnecttt.socialgo.com/. I think that is very commendable.
• Facilitator, Tunji Alao had his 9:15 class on Basic ICT shifted to 12:15 because he missed the Arik 7:30 am flight to Benin and had to wait for the 11:30 am flight. He however explained that the delay was caused because the public address system in the wing of the Lagos local airport, where he had been sitting for over an hour before takeoff was bad. As such he did not hear the boarding announcement. Arik apologised for this and put him on the 11:30am flight without the ‘no-show’ surcharge.
• On Friday 4th March, Arik moved their regular 7:30am flight to 9:30am for logistic reasons. And two of our facilitators; Mr Sam Gemegah and Mr Emmanuel Bright were delayed therefore; they however arrived the training venue at about 11:30am to take their sessions. The early spare time was effectively utilised by participants as they watched informative videos and discussed their experiences during the training program.
• On Friday 4th March, training sessions rounded off at 3:00pm instead of the regular 1:45pm because of the facilitators’ time of arrival.
Pay-it-Forward project
Participants have been mobilised into functional groups and would start submitting their Pay-it-Forward project plans from Monday, 7th March 2011.
Internship
On the issue of Internship, over 60% of the participants would be travelling to Lagos after the training. Do we then seek internship placement for these ones in Lagos?
The second week of the Wing’s training was momentous and inspiring and all the members of my volunteer team were very agile to the vision throughout. I thank Seyi Babatunde, Adejumo Ibukun, Nkiru Nwaorgu, Egbon Edosa and Susan Chukwuedo.
In addition, I have here some feedback mails from the participants themselves; please read;
“Schools come and schools go but there would never be one like Wings!”
– Nweke McDuke (I-Ternal Corporation)
“ With heart full of gratitude I say thanks for the provision you made available to us this week. The task brought out my real potential, reminding me of my strengths and the need to maximize it. The training so far, has made me identify where and how to begin my career, giving me a good reason why I should propel forward without fear. It has really impressed upon me the need for a continuous personal appraisal evaluation of myself with a view to implementing all I am learning so as to attain the maximum benefit. For this very reason, I say THANKS A LOT.”
- Vera Efe, IKHAREA (C.E.O, Eagles incorporated)
“Before, i use to ask myself where i belong in d society but now i know or at least have an idea where i belong. Thanks to AGDC.”
– Anavenwu Mercy (The Strategists)
“I have now been upgraded to a higher level in all spheres of my life.
All thanks to AGDC. I'm being daily convinced that everything is working for my good.”
– Faith Innocent (Excel Group)
“My experience these past few days has been one filled with a series of
‘wows’ and superlatives that are a mile long. The quality of the
speakers are simply out of this world- most of them being HR heads
and top management staffs if not CEO’s. You should know that there are very few times my time has been better spent, than at this WINGS training. I remain grateful.
THANK YOU.”
- Omadudu M.Charles (The Strategists)
Monday, March 7, 2011
What is your Unique Selling Point (USP)?
In the last two weeks we have addressed the role of your resume in getting that dream job. The importance of having a good resume cannot be over-emphasized because that is your first contact with the employer. The truth is, a lot of resumes are turned down in 10 seconds flat! You need to have your resume stand out, and be noticed by the employer. Your resume must catch the attention of the employer right away. The question is; what is your unique selling point?
A major tool to market your unique selling point is your cover letter.
Cover letters are still important today, and should be sent along with your resume In your cover letter, begin with a powerful first paragraph about yourself. Have this action paragraph relate to the job at hand. Sum up your job relevant experience, your strengths that are relevant to the job, skills and accomplishments. Sell yourself quickly in the first paragraph of your cover letter. Your cover letter should be only one page in length. At the end of your cover letter, add your telephone number and your email address. This way, your telephone number and your email address will be right at hand for the employer - in the first lines of your resume, and in the last lines of your cover letter.
Having scaled through the first selection stage and you are invited for an interview, this is another opportunity to pitch yourself as the applicant of choice to the employer. Always remember; first impressions are very important. An interviewer usually forms an impression of you in less than five minutes. Make that impression a favorable one, and a memorable one. Address your strengths, the ones that show you are an excellent fit for the job and the company.
When the interviewer asks you to talk about yourself, favorably sum up your strengths and qualifications in 60 seconds or less. Talk about your five best features, the ones that show you are a good fit for the job and the company. Select selling points that state that you would be able to fulfill the company's needs. State your qualifications with confidence. Also, maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. Project yourself as Confident, Capable and Competent
To equip you with skills on how to market your unique selling point, AGDC is organizing a one-month intensive program, commencing on Mach 28 2011, to launch you from a regular graduate to a High Potential Graduate. AGDC High Potential Graduate Program (HIPO) is a management skills development program for recent graduates and young professionals. For enquiries about this program; contact Bolanle on 07029777474.
Remember! There is no second chance to make a good first impression. Always, always, sell your brand; you are a product, pitch yourself as the best and brightest! Till next week, keep on selling Brand YOU!
A major tool to market your unique selling point is your cover letter.
Cover letters are still important today, and should be sent along with your resume In your cover letter, begin with a powerful first paragraph about yourself. Have this action paragraph relate to the job at hand. Sum up your job relevant experience, your strengths that are relevant to the job, skills and accomplishments. Sell yourself quickly in the first paragraph of your cover letter. Your cover letter should be only one page in length. At the end of your cover letter, add your telephone number and your email address. This way, your telephone number and your email address will be right at hand for the employer - in the first lines of your resume, and in the last lines of your cover letter.
Having scaled through the first selection stage and you are invited for an interview, this is another opportunity to pitch yourself as the applicant of choice to the employer. Always remember; first impressions are very important. An interviewer usually forms an impression of you in less than five minutes. Make that impression a favorable one, and a memorable one. Address your strengths, the ones that show you are an excellent fit for the job and the company.
When the interviewer asks you to talk about yourself, favorably sum up your strengths and qualifications in 60 seconds or less. Talk about your five best features, the ones that show you are a good fit for the job and the company. Select selling points that state that you would be able to fulfill the company's needs. State your qualifications with confidence. Also, maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. Project yourself as Confident, Capable and Competent
To equip you with skills on how to market your unique selling point, AGDC is organizing a one-month intensive program, commencing on Mach 28 2011, to launch you from a regular graduate to a High Potential Graduate. AGDC High Potential Graduate Program (HIPO) is a management skills development program for recent graduates and young professionals. For enquiries about this program; contact Bolanle on 07029777474.
Remember! There is no second chance to make a good first impression. Always, always, sell your brand; you are a product, pitch yourself as the best and brightest! Till next week, keep on selling Brand YOU!
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