Since the initiation of the holiday jobs and volunteerism project by the National Youth Council in 2010 a good number of young people have benefitted.
However, the youth council is being confronted with the challenge of placing all the applicants, even though their services are offered free-of-charge.
The idea of the project is to help young people learn some lessons outside the formal school system, by getting them to serve in the holiday jobs project for a certain period of time, during the summer holidays.
Such opportunities would, no doubt, help young people to have ideas and learn more about the careers they want to pursue in the future.
Even after their holiday jobs, when they return to their respective schools, it would be an added advantage to them, as they would have some work experience.
We, therefore, wish to use this platform to commend the all those institutions and companies responding to the holiday jobs project.
In the same vein, we would like to urge other institutions to come out and support this noble cause.
Young people should be well engaged during the summer holidays, so they have no time for idling and to engage in illegal activities.
While the rationale for the scheme is to keep youths busy during the holidays, and give them the chance to learn about the world of work, as well as gain some lessons about life outside the classroom, it is our belief that this scheme will also prepare them for life’s challenges ahead.
Indeed, such a project should put students in a better frame of mind to tackle their studies and other activities with greater vigour, when they return to school.
The voluntary holiday job project could also help reduce youth unemployment in a country grappling with the menace.
