As part of strategic efforts aimed at enhancing the quality of career choices among students of secondary school grades in the country, Nigeria’s most youth-friendly telecommunication company, Etisalat, has held a Career Counselling session for some secondary school students in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The career-focused event, which held inside the Conference Hall of Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Rumuokwurushi, Port Harcourt, is a CSR initiative of the company targeted at enlightening students on existing career opportunities across various fields and guiding them with adequate information thereby helping them to secure their future.
It featured career-enlightenment talks from resource persons drawn from the Etisalat Employee Volunteering Scheme, a platform through which Etisalat staff impact students within its host communities by delivering career enhancing sessions and mentorship to students in secondary schools.
Speaking at the one-day event, Manager, CSR, Etisalat Nigeria, Oyetola Oduyemi, said the career counselling initiative of the company speaks to the commitment of the company to partner with relevant authorities and organisations in driving sustainable national development through such platforms as Education, Health and Environment while singling out education as a core pillar due to its pivotal role in bringing about development.
“Etisalat Nigeria is passionate about driving sustainable national development, and does this by building on the platforms of Education, Health and the Environment. Etisalat Nigeria has faith in the youth of Rivers state; they represent the hope of a brighter tomorrow. And that is why we are making this investment of time and resources. We want them to believe in themselves and accept that the world is at their feet.
Oduyemi, who revealed that over 7,500 students have benefitted from the programme since inception seven years ago, also identified choice of career as a key determinant of success in a child’s life after school.
Also speaking, the Principal, Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Rumuokwurushi, Dr. (Mrs.) Justina Dappa, appreciated the telecommunication giant “for towing the honourable path of helping students resolve the confusion that usually surrounds the choice of careers just as she admitted that the students face enormous challenges while making the transition from secondary to tertiary education.”
Some of the students have also expressed delight at the quality of information the programme offered them.
Godspower Peter, a Senior Secondary School Three student noted that “The programme has transformed my life in many ways. I want to be a Lawyer and I have been taught what to do and how to go about my studies to enable me achieve my goal.”
Etisalat Career Counselling is one of the platforms through which Etisalat demonstrates its commitment to achieving the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Quality Education.
*Photo shows Manager, CSR, Etisalat Nigeria, Oyetola Oduyemi (l) and Principal, Community Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Rumukwurushi, Port Harcourt, Mrs. Charity Nwoye (r) presenting some Prizes to Miss Precious Jeremiah (Senior Category), Winner of a Quiz Competition held at the Etisalat Career Counselling Programme in the School recently.
