The State Coordinator, Mrs Winifred Shokpeka has charged the 1650 prospective corps members deployed to the State to embrace skill acquisition as the answer to the problem of unemployment and underemployment.

She gave the charge at the opening ceremony and Flag off of the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development in-camp training at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ede on Monday. Citing examples of ex-corps members and serving corps members who cut out a niche for themselves through the skills they learned in SAED, encouraged the members to embrace the program with all sincerity and commitment so they can be self reliant.

She enlightened the corps members on the origin of the program, its objectives, divisions and further told them that registration for the in-camp training with trainers is free.

According to her, the scheme through the SAED program has succeeded in training thousands of Corps members in various skills and that many today have become employers of labour rather than jib seekers.

Earlier, th Head of SAED, Mr Aleshinloye Adeniyi admonished the members to key into the program and ensure they see it through to perfection. He urged them to participate actively in both the in-camp and post camp training so as to become experts in their chosen skills.

Mr Adeniyi also charged them to take their Entrepreneurship Development lecture seriously so as to be able to write good business plans.

Also speaking at the event, Mr Oduyebo Olusegun motivated the PCMs on the need to be responsible as it is the price for greatness. He told them that they are all solution providers and the answers to the problems plaguing the country and the continent, at large.

He admonished the PCMs to acquire knowledge and then went further to point out the scopes of knowledge which are majorly: Generalised knowledge and Specialised knowledge(skills) with the latter having two branches which are life skills and professional/occupational skills. “Do not be confined by your institution but make efforts to properly internalise the knowledge you have sought after. You must do this, because men become better, useful and glorious through internalised knowledge.

Take responsibility for who you want to become and work towards that. WORK ON YOURSELF. ” He concluded.

In a related development, the representative of the National Directorate of Employment, Mr Oyekanmi Razaq has called upon prospective corps members to embrace a mindset of planned action as they plan kick-starting their entrepreneurial journey.

This he said while delivering the Entrepreneurship Development program lecture to the prospective corps members with the aid of the NYSC Small Business Starter Workbook.

He expressed the difficulty attached to obtaining business loans in Nigeria without a feasible, well-rounded business plan, which the NYSC has been fixing through the EDP initiative.In his words, "successful entrepreneurs are differentiated from business owners because of their calculated risk-taking, creativity, perseverance, innovative, and positive mindsets.

"Furthermore, he discussed the key entrepreneurial qualities necessary for efficiently managing an entity seeking to offer a service that consumers need and for which they are willing to pay.

"The ability to set goals, commit towards the course of the business, persistence, financial discipline and self-confidence are key qualities that make a good manager, " he added.

Correspondingly, Mr Jimoh Adisa, the Osogbo Branch Manager of Unity Bank together with Bukola Kareem, the Bank's Relationship Officer sensitized the PCMs on the Corpreneurship Grant and Allawee Challenges, a program organised for selected States as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Mr Jimoh stated that the initiative is geared towards instiling a Savings culture in the members and also assisting in providing the needed capital to start off on their entrepreneurial journey.

The Corpreneurship Grant challenge seeks to reward PCMs with well thought-out business proposals with cash grants ranging from #500,000, #300,000, and #200,000, as well as consolation prizes for other participants. They urge corps members to beware of fraud and not compromise their security credentials by furnishing them to unauthorized persons.