What happens when you introduce an opportunity for youth to be engaged in the ICT industry? Over 1,000 youth showing up for the freshman conference hosted by Youth Empowerment in Lagos, Nigeria.

With corporate sponsors Microsoft, QT, Visafone, Google and others; the stage was set to premiere the fastest growing industry for this African nation.

From the thousand youth, over 350 completed the enrollment and initial skill assessment. The attendees were divided into groups to work on developing an Android app project.

The intensity of the desire to learn was evident in these youth. The event stands as one of the top great memory makers in my TLC work.

TLC Workforce Solution Announces Essay Winners for Nigerian ICT Youth

Longview, Texas – USA                                                               Feb 28, 2012

An essay contest was issued at the Youth Empowerment conference held in Lagos, Nigeria January 30 – Feb 2. The event which drew over one thousand eager youth, was sponsored by Mr. Jim Ovia. The conference provided youth with the introduction, basics in design and marketing for ICT opportunities.

TLC Workforce Solutions provided challenges with lifeskills and motivation when it comes to impacting their world.

Terry Carlile, Director of TLC announced the essay contest to encourage the youth to present an essay, (of at least 1,000 words) of “Why this ICT training can benefit me and my country”.

Essay judges really looked at what the individual had to say, the depth of their personal reflections, and how they tied Nigerian current affairs in with the knowledge they received at the training and how they planned on practically applying it.

Several submissions were received and two winners are now selected. The original challenge stated one winner, but with the compelling essays, two winners were selected. Their essays are accessible on the TLC website (address provided below).

Congratulations to: Ade David and Abiodun Olatubosun (click on their names to read their essays below)

They will both receive an E-Learning package with three work skill components.

These E-Learning courses were developed by business leaders with the goal of having an informed workforce who have an understanding and application of basic “soft” skills that are deemed important as a competitor in the global market.

This E-Learning offers a behavioral skill-based adult and youth employability training program that can be measured for results. This system is perfect for individuals who wish to work in industries such as manufacturing, hospitals, banks, school districts, insurance companies, high tech industries and any other industry that has human resources that must be motivated, productive, supervised, evaluated or led.

Each course is a minimum of 10 hours in length. The E-Learning programs have integrated audio, video, and text in order to fit the learning styles of each participant. TLC will be able to track the training programs that each participant completes.

The objective of this endeavor is to demonstrate the opportunity by providing workers with improved knowledge and skill. Youth who are either pursuing entrepreneurial or agency employment can benefit from the on-line application. An organization can utilize E-Learning to ensure that all workers are on the same page of the company’s perspective and expectation of accepted work attitudes and behaviors.

The global workforce challenge demands that we must have well informed workers who are provided the resources to learn, develop and operate within a framework of innovation, adaptability, reliability and excellence.

The two essay winners will participate in these three modules of training, all on line:

Communications: Effective leaders understand the nature and characteristics of effective communication. We spend 80% of our waking hours communicating. It is one of the most critical pieces of success. Participants will learn the cues of non-verbal communication and how to project appropriate messages with non-verbal cues as well as why clients interpret the same messages differently.  With the advancement of technology communication, business communication has suffered.  This course will enable participants to get a handle on appropriate workplace communication.

Setting Goals:  Through interactive learning, participants are exposed to Work-life Balance skills to better manage both tasks and relationships. The outcomes for the individual are more control, value and balance in their professional and personal lives. By learning to set goals, individuals drastically increase their likelihood of success in life.  This skill will be used to create a roadmap to the best life possible as well as laying the foundation for workplace growth and advancement.

Effective Teaming:  people in every workplace talk about building the team, working as a team, and belonging to a team, but few understand how to create the experience of teamwork or how to develop an effective team. Participants will learn the why and the how of team building as well as the systematic process of a team. Participants will be prepared to build up the other participants in their team and will have an understanding of their role and contribution to the team.

____________________________________________________________________________

For more information, contact Terry Carlile

Email: terrycarlile@yahoo.com

Web: http://www.tlcyouthservices.net/Nigeria_ICT.html

Cell (USA): 903.261.3311

The Nigerian news media covered the event, especially when the Minister of ICT spoke. Jim Ovia is to be commended for his sponsorship of instilling the broad initiative for Nigerians youth.

We conducted an essay contest and the winner will be announced in February. The top writer will receive an E-learning certificate good for three work skill topics.

We'll be working with Rebecca's team on future endeavors as they establish a successful youth program.

Why the Youth Empowerment conference 2012 ICT Training is a benefit for me and my country 

by Ade David   

There is no doubt that we are in the twenty first century an age driven by fast moving information across the world using the world wide web and internet as tool for transmitting considerable and valuable amounts of information at a very fast speed and at a considerably less amount of time.

Ever since the boom of the information age in the late 70’s until now, Nigeria has experienced less than proportionate level of development in information and communications technology as compared to other parts of the world.  Countries like the U.S.A, Canada and Western European countries have access opportunities that ICT affords mankind by building cutting edge and innovative technologies that provide solution to a vast amount of problems we face as human beings.

Great company and products like Microsoft, oracle, Facebook, Twitter, Apple and many others have sprung up from innovative ideas geared towards solving the problems of easy access to information which is a basic human need. As we all know, knowledge is power and it is on this basis that ICT has been of enormous importance to us all.

This is why the ICT training organized by Jim Ovia foundation has been able to enhance my ICT skill which is of great importance to my country Nigeria and the whole world.

We have been able to learn how to develop Android Applications that can be deployed and used on mobile devices and as we all know, the future of the information age is mobile hence a vast amount of opportunities have been created for me and other application developers to provide solution to an array of problems we face that has to do with information sharing and information access in real time.

We have also learnt from statistics that even though there are huge potentials for ICT in Nigeria due to it’s large population. ICT penetration is very low due to low level of internet access.  This has created opportunities for Mobile App developers like me to bring information sharing closer to Nigerians by developing cutting edge solution that suits the basic needs of an average Nigerian.

The Impact this conference had on me keeps me motivated to take positive steps towards the advancement of my skills as I remain committed to my goals and objectives while I remain teachable. Coupled with other subjects in this conference, I have been able to learn the basics of Android Applications development through on open source and third party which could be deployed downloaded by the end user.

This for me is epoch and ground breaking and it has created a wide range of opportunities for me as well as other software Application developers to create problem solving Applications that could be deployed into the mobile market which is growing in a very fast rate in Nigeria.

I am left with no doubt that as we step into the future and the problem of internet penetration is solved in Nigeria with more bandwidths of data, we developers are left with the challenge of creating relevant and unique Android Applications that suits the basic needs of an average Nigerian. I will be able to develop a mobile Application that will allow users have access to and share content with other users who are also members of the same Network using the Android mobile 0s platform and other platforms such as the Blackberry, Window and Apple i-Phones.

It is also important to mention that the enhancement and development of ICT skills especially in the mobile applications development will drive growth in all sectors of the economy because the availability of such Application and the possibility of sharing and accessing more local content in the internet will further allow more Nigerian companies the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the world through their websites and downloaded mobile Application.

By attending this conference, I have also been exposed to a potentially huge industry which is yet untapped in Nigeria. A multi billion dollar industry that has provided the same level of opportunities for me as well as thousands of other developers in Nigeria.

Attending the February 2012 Youth empowerment conference has also exposed me to new ideas on how I can promote my blog at Gidilinks.com.  I will be able to develop on Android mobile App as well as other O S platform for users and readers to interact with each other.  This will enable Nigerians as well as other users across the world network with each other.

I have also been able to devise a way by which a mobile application can be developed for an online market place in Nigeria, where users can enlist their products and service thereby facilitating e-commerce in Nigeria which until now is in a comatose state.

With the online market place in view, there lays a potential user base running into millions of internet enthusiasts both within Nigeria and across the West Africa sub region.

In conclusion, I will like to mention that with the knowledge shared and gained in this just concluded conference, Nigerians will definitely be better for it as there is a potential upsurge in the ICT industry with the establishment of software companies that will not only cater for the needs of Nigerian mobile Application users and also compete favorably in the Global Applications market.

I in particular will put the knowledge I have gained to use not only in product development but also various business and life tips that borders on preparation, time management, planning, persistence, Team building, mentorship. These various concepts I have learned will further enhance my chances of succeeding as an entrepreneur and software developer and on this note I like to state any gratitude to the Jim Ovia foundation and other facilitators for their time and resources as we all hope that with the amount of resources and energy expended on this project, we will all reap the reward in a very short period of time for the benefit of humanity and to the glory of God.

Why this ICT Training is a benefit for me and my country? 

by Abiodun Olatubosun

ICT has been a major tool and instrument for driving technological, developmental and innovative change both in developed and developing nations of the world. Its impact has been felt in every sector of the economy through E- Commerce/Business, E- Government, Mobile web & applications, Cloud computing/Software, Social Entrepreneurship Solutions and other areas of infrastructural development.

Furthermore, ICT has revolutionized the way by which several disciplines in the field of Science, Engineering, Statistical Research, Administration and Art are being taught. Today, ICT is being embraced all over the world because of its inestimable benefit and the solutions it proffers in the way things are being done.  

ICT touches every life irrespective of background, race, status, nationality or educational qualification and its knowledge is being sought after. Needless to say that any youth, CEO, Spiritual leaders, Teachers,  Authors, Creative Thinkers, Practitioners etc. who desire to excel and remain consistently outstanding in their chosen careers MUST embrace, be knowledgeable and use ICT in their various fields.

NIGERIA’S SETBACKS IN ICT

About ten (10) years ago, Nigeria welcomed ICT. Thus far, its been progressive with swift growth, acceptance and improvement in the area of ICT. The launching of Nigeria’s SAT 3 in China recently, is an indicator of the great progress made but the acquisition of knowledge and use of ICT as encountered some setbacks such as;

Maybe they are not knowledgeable or aware of the potential revenue ICT can contribute to the wealth of a Nation. Other states and government parastatal that have done one or two things in the area of ICT has done it for their own personal interest. When their proposed ICT training are implemented, only a selected few are beneficiaries. Most times it is not an “open” training program. Governors prefer to send students abroad for ICT training to the glory of their name/tenure than to do something sustainable and viable for the larger society.

More emphasis is made on knowing the hardware and not the software, OS etc. Most are even without internet facilities. Also, I observed that only a few teachers are computer literate. Among a staff of over 50 teachers, you might be lucky to find just 2 or 3 “computer” teachers to teach over 400 willing students. So the students learn more independently and since there’s no one to show them the positive areas of the use of internet they learn the dubious part of it.

A student given a laptop may sell it or use it for a different purpose. Besides, giving out laptops does not ascertain the knowledge and development of ICT for the student. When such a beneficiary leaves high school, will the state government give away another set of laptops to the next set of students? This is not sustainable and lacks continuity.

EFFECTS OF ICT SETBACKS [IN THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA]

Having highlighted some vital points concerning the setbacks of ICT in Nigeria, here are some of its effects on the Nation and its people;

 A larger percentage of the population are still ICT illiterates

BENEFITS OF THIS ICT TRAINING TO ME AND MY COUNTRY

To me, this ICT training organized by the Youth Empowerment & ICT Foundation (sponsored by Jim Ovia) has

Thinking big and creative problem – solving skills are now part of my social skills

To my country;

It is important that we spread the knowledge and use beyond boundaries and geo – political zones; therefore, I will come up with a workable plan and implementation to “spread the knowledge”.

I know that the time has come for the glory of Nigeria to rise again, for its fame to spread across the continents of the world again for good. The ideas, concept and products that will come from Nigeria and Nigerians will re – focus the attention of the developed countries of this world to Nigeria very very soon.