Jobberman, the single largest online job placement and training website in sub-Saharan Africa, has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to tackle unemployment in Nigeria. The partnership aims to train 5 million job seekers and place 3 million in dignified employment over the next five years. Jobberman and Mastercard Foundation also plan to train 200,000 job seekers and place 120,000 in dignified employment by the end of this year. The partnership will impact young people living in the North, of which 70 percent will be young women.
The most recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics puts the combined unemployment and underemployment rates in Nigeria at 43.3 percent – a figure that will almost certainly be exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19. More than 60 percent of young women are unemployed and more than one in four (25.9 percent) of women in the labour force are underemployed. According to the World Bank, there is also increasing inequality in Nigeria between the North and the South.
In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Jobberman aims to provide Nigerian job seekers with the skills they will need to enhance their chances of securing work in an overcrowded job market, as well as place them in dignified work. Training will be focused on soft skills such as emotional intelligence, business etiquette and time management, and will be delivered online and offline for people with limited access to the internet. The partnership will involve community leaders as well as other key decision-makers, and trained candidates will be placed via Jobberman’s employer partnerships.
In Nigeria, the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy aims to enable 10 million young Nigerians, especially young women to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. Since the launch of the soft-skills training program, 16,000 youngsters have successfully been placed in dignified work between April and June, which is a 78% increase from the 9,000 placed during the same period in 2019.
Young Africa Works will be implemented in Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna. As a partner in this initiative, Jobberman Nigeria will establish a baseline of the state of employability of young Nigerians by conducting a skills gap analysis of the labour market in Agriculture, Digital, and the Creative Industries sectors, cultivating employability skills through training centres, online classes/webinars, career fairs, and events. It will then place jobseekers in various roles across the Agriculture, Digital, and Creative Industries among others.
Jobberman already has a number of companies on board for this 10-year plan; however, it is also looking to engage with more employers interested in hiring talent to increase work productivity and alleviate the strains of unemployment in Nigeria.
According to Hilda Kragha, CEO of Jobberman Nigeria, “We are delighted to be working with the Mastercard Foundation and community leaders to address the issue of unemployment in Nigeria and to play our part in providing young Nigerians with access to dignified roles, which offer a clear path to self-sustenance. Nigeria is full of talented and hardworking young people. However, the current structure of the jobs market, means many are unable to make the most of their skills and talents. This is why it is important to join forces with key stakeholders to equip young people with the skills they need and to link them effectively to dignified work opportunities.”
Chidinma Lawanson, Country Head, Nigeria at the Mastercard Foundation said, “Skills training is essential as advancements in technology and the changing nature of work means employers are increasingly looking for workers who have the technical and soft skills that machines are unlikely to fill, such as creativity and collaboration. We look forward to working with Jobberman to equip young people, especially young women in the North, with the skills they need to excel and connecting them with opportunities that will transform their lives and their communities.”
With over a decade in the recruitment business, Jobberman has identified soft skills as a viable asset to an employee and job seeker, especially for young people transitioning into the workplace. So far, Jobberman has trained on average over 4,000 young people per day via Zoom and 11,000 via Telegram over a six week period and is currently the only online platform offering soft skills training for free to young people across Nigeria.
The most successful businesses today are the ones that invest in soft skills training for employees; they are growing in revenue and leading their industries. In these times of change and uncertainty, providing training content that helps employees develop their soft skills will ensure that both organizations and their employees succeed.
To sign up for the soft skills training program, go to: https://www.jobberman.com/softskills. Employers can also partner with Jobberman to hire trained participants at discounted rates by sending an email to connect@jobberman.com.
