Forty young people from different communities in Plateau State have graduated from Zang Global’s three-month RenewCycle Training Programme, designed to equip youths with practical skills in renewable energy and electronic-waste management.
The first cohort, which comprised 33 young women and seven young men, completed training aimed at providing participants with skills they can use to create livelihoods and establish small businesses.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Jos, the Chief Executive Officer of Zang Global, Zang Luka, said the programme was introduced to address the lack of employment opportunities facing many young people, particularly graduates and those from underserved communities.
Luka said the organisation believed practical skills could provide young people with alternative means of earning a living while contributing to economic development.
“Because if you look at, there are tons of graduates that we have that are university graduates yearly and jobs is not there. So skills is the next big thing for young people,” he said.
According to him, the RenewCycle programme was particularly designed to reach young women and people from marginalised communities and equip them with skills that could make them economically sustainable.
He disclosed that 15 of the 40 graduates would be selected for further annual business development training to help them establish micro-enterprises based on the skills acquired during the programme.
Luka also said the organisation was already preparing for the second cohort, adding that its broader vision was to expand the programme and train more young people in renewable energy and electronic-waste management.
He said the programme’s ultimate goal was to create livelihood and employment opportunities for young people.
The programme coordinator, Alexander Pascal, said the training was designed to give the participants additional practical skills that could complement their formal education and existing abilities.
Pascal said the initiative focused particularly on young people from underserved communities, adding that the beneficiaries had been equipped with skills that could help them become economically productive.
He said the 40 participants had also developed business ideas which they would pursue after completing the programme, particularly in renewable energy and electronic-waste management.
For some of the graduates, the training has already provided a pathway towards self-employment.
One of them, Fom Shedrach Ishaya, said his interest in renewable energy and Nigeria’s unstable electricity supply motivated her to join the programme.
Ishaya said he learned practical skills including the use of personal protective equipment, soldering and how to test continuity in electrical cables.
he said she planned to start a business selling solar accessories and components while also offering installation services.
Another graduate, Ishaya Mafeng Dalyop, said solar installation was one of the most important skills she acquired during the training.
Dalyop said she intended to establish her own shop, install solar systems and produce power banks using the skills acquired.
For Zang Global, however, the graduation marks only the beginning of a broader plan to equip more young people with renewable-energy and electronic-waste management skills as the organisation prepares for its next cohort.
