Writting skills for Corps members..

In line with the new policy of the National Youth Service Corp to boost skill acquisition and entrepreneurship among corps members, 100 hundred corp members were introduced to  jobs in freelance writing to cushion the effect of unemployment.

 A Batch A corps member, LEAP Africa Alumnus, and Founder of Penpreneurs, Biodun Awosusi, organized a training tagged ‘Corpers Writing Opportunities’ on 7^th September for hundred corps members The training was organized in partnership with the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development unit of NYSC Lagos, Jobberman, Ribena and Etisalat.
Other speakers were Wale Akanbi (Ribena Brand manager), Ayodeji Adewunmi (Co-founder Jobberman), Tunji Ajani (E-green services), Oluwaseun Ajibade (Penexus Consulting), Obajeun Ayodele (Blogger) and Adepoju Victor (Partner at Penpreneurs).
Participants learnt avenues to make money through writing, resume writing, and business plan and proposal design. They are required to explore their skills after the training. Each person can apply to online writing companies, commence blogging for personal or corporate use and/or provide writing services at the primary place of assignment.
At the training, Mrs Rachael Idaewor, Head of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurial development in Lagos, encouraged corp members to embrace the new initiative of NYSC and learn new skills they can put to use during and service. “Writing is an important skill for progress in life”, she says, “it is therefore timely that this training is taking place to equip corps members to become better writers. I commend the organizers and encourage you all to make the best use of what you learn”.

Biodun is a Batch A corps members and medical doctor serving at Odi Olowo Local council development area, Lagos State in a mother and child centre. He is the first African Young Ambassador for Opportunity. He has great flair for writing. His passion for the art of writing motivated to start Penpreneurs initiative to promote job creation through freelance writing opportunities.
He says “unemployment is a big issue in Nigeria. The President acknowledged this in his 2012 budget speech. National Bureau of Statistics says there were 16million people in Nigeria as at 2011. This value is about 16times the entire population of the Gambia! The current estimate is 23.9%. This statistics is deeply disturbing. I cannot just sit down and see so many unemployed young people walk on the street when they can explore freelance writing opportunities to make money”
According to him, many unemployed are currently searching for jobs in contemporary companies with limited opportunities. He says ‘They do not understand that the world of work is changing; companies are outsourcing to freelancers and hyperspecialists. In the United States, there are over 140,000 freelance writers and authors but less than 5,000 in Nigeria. We need to create, build and structure the freelance writing industry in Nigeria so that it can create thousands of jobs for young people and added income for adults’..CP AFRICA