Economic empowerment: 330 women acquire vocational skills from NCWD

The programmes range from hospitality and tourism studies, fashion design and garment making, cosmetology and beauty therapy, interior and outdoor decoration , jewellery and bead making.Others include: Bread and pastry making, catering, make up and head gear tying and cake baking, decoration and sugar craft.Ruqquayat  Bala Aliyu was one of the graduands and also the […]

The programmes range from hospitality and tourism studies, fashion design and garment making, cosmetology and beauty therapy, interior and outdoor decoration , jewellery and bead making.
Others include: Bread and pastry making, catering, make up and head gear tying and cake baking, decoration and sugar craft.
Ruqquayat  Bala Aliyu was one of the graduands and also the best graduating student from the Cosmetology and Beauty therapy programme.
Aliyu who is a graduate of economics told The Home Front that she was inspired to go for vocational skills because the way it is now everyone cannot work in the public sector, “being a graduate you don’t need to wait for government to provide you with a job. And if the job is not coming you have to spread your tentacles. Also cosmetology is an area I have been very passionate about even before I went for my degree programme.”
She said there are so many training institutions but she chose the centre because it has a holistic approach towards which ever programme one wants to study there and  groom you aside the vocational skills the centre trains one on.
She advised women thus; “As a woman and also a Muslim and northern woman it is imperative for you to be empowered and have something doing.. If you don’t have opportunity to go to school, go learn a trade or get a vocational skill . Because when a woman is empowered, it will reflect on the family including her children and the society at large. When your husband is down, you are also there to support. So it will be two hands bringing income to the house and it is so much better than just a single hand.”
Other graduands also told The Home Front that the skills they have acquired will go a long way to making them self reliant and better individuals.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony yesterday in Abuja, Director-General of the centre, Lady Onyeka Onwenu said the centre’s programmes are based on the recognition that women’s economic empowerment is the first step to freedom and are structured to give the trainee a voice, as well as confidence to cope in a competitive environment and innovation is needed to stay afloat.
In addition she said the centre is contributing to raise a viable and skilled workforce to meet the challenges of unemployment in the country.
She said: “What is more interesting in the composition of our students is the fact that we have more university graduates in these programs. This no doubt is a pointer to the fact that white collar jobs are becoming more elusive and vocational training will in the long run lead to a more fulfilled life.”
Onwenu called on development partners, individuals and corporate bodies to join the centre in the task to rebuild the lives of women and children who have lost their means of survivals a result of the activities of insurgents.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Ezekiel Oyemomi urged the graduands to work hard and ensure that they represent the true value the centre stands for.
Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency L. Ann Scott said all the training activities of the centre are important, adding that she finds the skill of head gear tying fascinating, and something that celebrates the Nigerian cultural identity.
She advised the graduands to use the skills they have acquired from the centre as a stepping stone to grooming themselves further, going for higher studies and empowering others.