LASTVEB launches Young Entrepreneurs’ Club

Esther Bakare 
In order to promote spirit of entrepreneurship among graduates of Technical Colleges in Lagos, the   Lagos State Vocational and Technical Education Board (LASTVEB) has launched Young Entrepreneurs’ Club at the 3rd Lagos Enterprisa Day .
In his welcome address, Executive Secretary of the Board, Engineer Olawumi Gasper said the Lagos enterprise day is an annual event which promotes networking of successful entrepreneurs with young aspiring entrepreneurs from the technical colleges in a one day open interactive forum while offering support for the promotion of enterprise education in LASTVEB.
According to hm, the inauguration of the Club   aimed at providing motivation and guidance to the aspiring young business leaders, thereby enabling them to fulfill their desires of owning their individual businesses and creating jobs for others.
The executive secretary acknowledged with gratitude the continuous support of some industry partners in repositioning of Technical and Vocational Education Training in  the  State through the construction of training workshops and rooms, provision of modern equipment, upgrading of facilities, enriching curricula in use, facilitating training of instructors and teachers as well as lending support in the delivery of curricula.
“Our industry partners have been forthcoming in the request of this administration, for LASTVEB to deploy all resources in our colleges and other vocational institutes in stemming youth unemployment and restiveness. We have also used Technical and Vocational Education Training in redirecting Lagos youths to self employment and self reliance.  All these efforts are towards producing self-reliant, competent, skilled young boys and girls, increasing employment opportunities and providing alternative routes of creating jobs for the youths of  Lagos State”, he said.
Gasper said at this point of huge youth unemployment, innovative solutions that can transform the economy of the nation is imperative, adding that there is    need   to engage the private sector in making more investments in the youths using Technical and Vocational Education as a tool to inspire the youths to achieve their full potentials. 
“For us in LASTVEB, we have targeted the youths by promoting youth-led businesses and the launching of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Club in all our technical colleges. By engaging the youths early enough in youth entrepreneurship, a strong economic and business sense is being developed”, he said
He said by engaging the youth early enough, in youth entrepreneurship, a strong economic and business sense is being developed.
The 1st Lagos Enterprise Day in year 2013, he said  was formally presented to all stakeholders specifically aimed at advocacy and sensitization, to instill a positive attitude in Lagos youths towards the world-of-work, entrepreneurship and business fostering in Lagos youths, creativity, self confidence and for them to develop an entrepreneurial culture and financial skills which will play major roles in the socio-economic development of Lagos and   Nigeria as well.
According to him, the second edition celebrated legacies, admitted successful entrepreneurs into Hall of Fame and promoted immense opportunities in youth-led businesses and other entrepreneurial pursuits.
Highlighting  on this year’s celebration, Gasper said    it focuses on stimulating entrepreneurial mindset and evoking entrepreneurial spirit in the youth with the launching of the Youth Entrepreneurship Club in  their  technical colleges, noting  that the Lagos State annual Enterprise Day has evolved into a brand that promotes entrepreneurship in Lagos youths.
“Our unique strength in LASTVEB is forging partnerships with the private sector and these partnerships have led to Centers of Excellence in five skill trade areas in the technical colleges with a hybrid of national and industrial curricula. We have therefore responded to the demands of industry for high quality technical skills to support production and business as partners for growth”, he said.
As a responsible and dynamic agency of government, LASTVEB   he said can address the huge youth unemployment of about 60 percent through technical skills development and entrepreneurship education.
‘We take cognizance of the dynamic changes being witnessed globally in the Technical and Vocational Education sub-system. Such changes are defined by technological advances, demand by industry for well trained and high quality technical skill, growing small business owners from the youth, need to re-direct our youths to areas of greater opportunities in the economy”, he said.
Therefore, he stressed the need  for the service sector of the economy to support synergy between the Lagos State Government and the private sector in producing the desired high quality technical skills for the fast growing hospitality, construction , transportation and manufacturing and retailing sector.
“We have also decided to leverage on the current trust of the private sector in the current administration to build an entrepreneurial society while producing high quality technical skills for industries”, he said.

Addressing  the technical students, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Oluranti  Adebule, who stood in for the Governor, gave five tips to success which  include; paying attention to their businesses, putting a proper structure in place as lack of operational structure makes businesses fail.

She also urged the students not to get comfortable with any position they are, but should always seek knowledge to improve themselves, saying trends change every day and they should strive to learn new things as well as taking risk and avoid staying in their comfort zone.

Some of the risk panellists who addressed the students include Alessandra Lusrati from London who told the students to have a clear vision of where they want to be, understand the risk in what they are about to venture into and work on improving access to key resources among others.

In her own word, Chief Executive of Rehoboth Agro-allied Ventures, Mrs Aderoju Odunsi, taught them on good business idea, saying it is her skills that made her what she is today as the University degree she bagged only served as a platform to stand upon.

“You need to have a mindset shift and you need a good business idea which will give you confidence in what you do”, she said.

Mr Taiwo Akinnawo also an entrepreneur described the event as one which motivates the students to start a business of their own so that after graduation they won’t be searching for white collar job.

“It is a strategy to enable you to be an entrepreneur, the technical skill and training you are acquiring in your colleges are to enable you become self employed. Unemployment is a great challenge in the nation today as there few government jobs at hand”, he said.