By Enweliku Kent
Delta State Job and Wealth Creation Bureau, has commenced the distribution of startup support and other items to 286 beneficiaries of the Skills Training Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) for first batch of 2019/2020 cycle otherwise known as STEPrepreneurs.
This was disclosed by the Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, during the Entrepreneurship and Business Management Training (EBMT) Workshop organized for successful beneficiaries in Asaba.
Motivating the elated beneficiaries, the Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer, Prof. Eboh, pointed out that there is no African time at the Job and Wealth Creation Bureau, just as he expressed joy over the final stage reached by successful applicants.
“We are very happy that you have made it to this point, your journey will be very significant and rewarding”, he said.
The erudite Professor, told the beneficiaries that timeliness, preparedness are ingredients of a successful business, “Punctuality, preparation, and champions are made in the preparation room. These are marks of seriousness”, stressing that responsible people are always punctual.
While going through memory lane, he said the essence of the screening was for the Bureau to get the right targets, noting that if the Bureau gets the targets wrong from onset, “you will be missing it”.
“One of the things will do in Job Creation is to get the right targets, people with readiness, persons who are available and teachable.
“The know how skills that you acquired is not enough. Everyone needs talent plus, you need to be purpose driven. For you to achieve success in your chosen skills, you need business skills”, Prof. Eboh, hinted.
Also, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Wealth Creation, Mr. Edewor Tony Omonemu, disclosed that the Job and Wealth Creation Bureau, was one of the ways the governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, is fulfilling his “Prosperity for all Deltans”, agenda.
He affirmed that in the last six years the state has enjoyed peace as a result of the programme which has taken a lot of Delta youths off the streets.
“You can see that for the past six years, there’s been a level of peace in Delta State because before now, there is this mutual distrust between the govern and those in government. Those in government tells the govern to be calm for peace so that investors could come to enable government do the things they want for you. What you are seeing here today, is a success story”, he noted.
Also, the Executive Assistant EA to governor of delta state on Export Promotion Chief (Mrs) Shimite Bello, advised the graduating beneficiaries, the best way to market their products, stating that as business owners you must place your customers in very high esteemed
Meanwhile, a beneficiary from tiling and interlocking Miss Favour Onyebuche disclosed that both training took her three months each, adding that she was able to scale through the hurdle of tiling and interlocking, been a trade for the male as she already had passion for it, “so it was fun for the learning”.
Another beneficiary, Onuku Paul, who measured in Catering and Confectionary said: “It is a dream because growing up in the family of seven boys, right from day one, it has been cooking. So, it is something that I really love to do professionally”.
According to the Bureau, the EBMT is the next and last phase of the STEP training cycle, and it follows the successful completion of occupational skills [know-how] training in the various training centres.
The EBMT is designed to impart on the beneficiaries basic and vital entrepreneurship and business skills including how to start a business enterprise, how to write a business plan, how to brand and market the business enterprise, how to relate well with business customers and partners.
Others are how to cope with business challenges, how to manage business money, how to keep business records, how to grow the business enterprise and others.
Following the EBMT, beneficiaries would be provided with startup support including equipment, materials and shop rent subsidy.
The ongoing cycle of STEP is the 6th in the unbroken series since 2015. The sustenance of the job creation programme is the fulfilment of His Excellency, the Governor’s promise to implement the programme every year of his tenure.