Graduate interns urged to maximize benefits of Graduate internship scheme.

Report from GIS, SURE-P, Fed. Ministry of Finance.

Graduate interns across the Country have been urged to maximize the benefits of the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).  This call was made recently by the Director of the scheme, Mr. Peter Papka at the orientation organized for interns and firm representatives in Lagos State.

The orientation is organized to enable interns optimize their internship period by developing useful skills and positive work habits, provide them an opportunity to share experiences with other participants, including firm representatives on opportunities and challenges in the workplace, expose them to opportunities for life after internship as well as contribute to service delivery and the performance of their employers.

“The primary mandate of GIS is development of the capacity of unemployed Graduates within 12 months. Apart from the structured mentorship the interns receive from their Employers, GIS conducts orientation training to provide interns with the skills they need to function properly in the workplace and that which will enable them optimize on the opportunity the scheme provides while working as an intern.”

Mr. Peter, explained that the training provides for the intern an important milestone in the internship journey, a point of self-discovery and a redefinition of self-esteem and self-actualization, while for the representatives of the firm, the training provides a free opportunity for competency enhancement, development of skills in performance management and an opportunity to share ideas with other firms and interns on work place and performance issues.

Making reference to interns that have shown commitment, Mr. Papka said some interns have gotten full employment even before the end of their tenure; others are acquiring professional qualification and membership supported by their employers while others have secured full employment at the end of their internship either with the same firms or with others who had given them better offers.

He added that, many interns have also formed themselves into Cooperatives with the desire to raise additional capital to start their own businesses while others are involved in monthly contributions of up to 50% of their stipend in order to have bulk cash for investment.

He referred to the emergence of new and interesting opportunities in key sectors as Agriculture, ICT, Power, Construction, Health, Environment and Sanitation. “Many interns are already taking advantage of these opportunities and are contributing to the enhancement of manpower in these sectors and at the macro level are contributing to the achievement of the National Vision 20:2020.”

Graduate Internship Scheme is one of the social safety net components of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and is implemented in the Federal Ministry of Finance.