Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and other stakeholders urged Imo youths to embrace employable skills to fill demanding vacancies in Nigeria’s ever-expanding labour market.

The governor said this while speaking at the Owerri Career Day, organised by Boss Resources and Consults Limited, a business development, management and consulting firm, on Saturday.

Mr Uzodimma, represented by his special adviser on sustainable development goals, Chinenyenwa Owuamalam, charged youths to be positive change makers and always ready to learn.

He, however, appealed to employers of labour to be patient with young people as they hone their skills and learn the ropes, so as not to make them feel dismayed.

In his remarks, the executive director of Boss Resources and Consults Limited, Chief Francis Owums, said it was heartbreaking watching the gradual decline in the employability of many young people in Imo.

According to him, while many people have the misconception that there are no jobs, opportunities and businesses are opening, with investors and companies constantly recruiting.

 “The real challenge is that employers are struggling to find people who possess the skills, competence, attitude, professionalism, emotional intelligence, and work ethic those opportunities require.

“Today, many investors opening businesses in Owerri specifically request that we recruit from outside Imo, neither because they dislike Owerri nor because they dislike our people, but because somewhere along the line, confidence has been lost.

“Right now, we are recruiting for a management role with a salary approaching ₦500,000 per month, yet despite weeks of advertisements and interviews, we are struggling to find the right candidate,” he said.

He therefore challenged the youth to take advantage of the event to network with industry experts, learn from the best and make needed ethical and other adjustments to increase their employability.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Thrive Leadership Consult, Joyce Kenneth, advised youths to be more proactive, readjust their mindset, and never settle for failure.

According to her, a more resilient, focused youth population would be less interested in quick-rich schemes and more interested in value-driven growth for immediate and future use.

Also, the director of human resources at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Kelechi Nwelue, urged the youths not to idle away but to take advantage of the commission’s skill acquisition and other youth empowerment programs for self-growth.

 (NAN)