Shapers Network Africa
Shapers Network Africa has unveiled the second edition of a youth-focused skills development and career-building initiative named SkilledforNow to address the growing unemployment rate and bridge the skills gap among young people in Nigeria.
SNA, founded in March 2023, is a nonprofit organization that leads strategic initiatives in human capital development, gender equality, policy advocacy in Nigeria and Africa, and prepares young people for the future of work.
The SkilledforNow initiative was first launched in June 2024 in Lagos with a one-day workshop featuring practical sessions on design thinking for career excellence, data literacy, project management skills for the workplace, etc.
This second edition is funded by the European Union in partnership with the Global Youth Mobilization, an initiative of the Big 6 Youth Organizations – World Scouting, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World YMCA, World YWCA, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, and IFRC.
Scheduled to begin on the nineteenth of this month (May 19), SkilledforNow 2.0 is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical and market-relevant skills to improve their employability and prepare them for the demands of the current job market as well as the future of work.
This second edition features an intensive 2-week virtual training bootcamp (May 19 -31,2025), an in-person one-day workshop (June 7, 2025) at Infinix Students Resource Center, Students Union Building, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and 2-month paid internship placements for top participants.
Speaking during the launch, the lead for the SkilledforNow initiative, Oyindamola Osinubi, said the initiative was developed in response to the rising number of graduates and school leavers who struggle to find jobs due to a mismatch between academic training and workplace requirements. The initiative aligns with SDGs 1 – No Poverty, 4 – Quality Education and 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.
“We are focusing on communication skills, AI/digital skills, entrepreneurial thinking, critical thinking & problem solving skills, data literacy, and other soft and technical skills that employers are actively looking for,” the project lead said.
“We ran a survey asking employers across different industries what they look for in entry-level candidates and we used the data from the responses to develop the training curriculum for this second edition.”
SkilledforNow is structured to offer in-person and virtual training, including one-on-one career coaching, group workshops, digital learning resource,s and paid internship placements for best-performing participants. The project will also connect participants with mentors and industry professionals to guide them through career development and entrepreneurship.
Participants will receive training in areas such as workplace communication, resume writing, job interview preparation, emotional intelligence, data literacy, critical thinking, project management, and business development.
According to the organizers, SkilledforNow is targeted at young people between the ages of 18 and 35, especially those who are students, unemployed, underemployed, or lacking access to career guidance.
The organization said the goal is to empower a new generation of young Africans who are not only qualified on paper but skilled and ready to thrive in today’s economy while being prepared for the future of work.
Shapers Network Africa plans to implement the SkilledforNow initiative across multiple states in Nigeria, with future plans to expand the model to other African countries.
Location: South west States of Nigeria
Salary: Voluntary (No compensation)
To apply for this job please visit bit.ly.
