One Precious Life (OPL) Academy recently held a graduation ceremony for its 2024 Technician Empowerment Program (TEP) in Africa, where technical graduates from various institutions received certificates for completing the program
The program aimed to equip the graduates with in-demand soft skills, such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, in addition to their technical skills.
The beneficiaries of the program included graduates and final-year students from Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, and Government Technical Colleges in Agidingbi, Epe, Ikorodu, Ikotun, and Adosoba. These students already possess specialized training in various fields like Electrical Installation, Plumbing, and Mechanical Engineering
Oare Ehiemua, the CEO of OPL Academy, highlighted the importance of soft skills for artisans to stand out with clients and secure job opportunities. She mentioned that OPL Academy has successfully secured over 500 jobs for technicians and generated N70 million in revenue for workers and local suppliers
The graduates are now eligible to join LaborHack, a sister company of OPL Academy, which offers access to job opportunities and lifestyle benefits like loans and healthcare.
Evelyn Idiji, the Programs lead at the academy, noted that the graduates have acquired the necessary soft skills to thrive in today's world, both locally and internationally. Since its inception in 2024, the program has trained 4,000 technicians across different states in Nigeria ¹. The current batch of graduates consists of 803 students from government technical colleges and 213 from tertiary institutions.
Okpako Daniella, a graduate of Government Technical College in Ikotun, praised the initiative, saying it has shaped their lives and helped them become better professional technicians. Amami Precious, a graduate of LASUSTECH, described the training as a life-changing opportunity that offers requisite skills for technicians and engineers to become better at what they do Tomide Akinnawo, the Head of the Lagos Region for the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), encouraged the graduands to continuously develop their skills and knowledge, emphasizing that the construction field thrives on knowledge and skills.
