Work place exposure for female undergraduates- the MultiChoice direction

As part of its strategy to provide work-related exposure for female undergraduates towards enhancing their employability, MultiChoice Nigeria, in partnership with South African High Commission in Nigeria, recently engaged 20 female students from the University of Lagos in the annual ‘take a girl-student to work’ project.

This initiative which was initiated by South African High Commission in Nigeria is an annual corporate social investment event and a constructive way of positively contributing to the global efforts to address challenges faced by young women, particularly African women and the girl-child.

Timothy Okwu, public relations executive, MultiChoice Nigeria, while speaking at the 2014 take a girl child to work event in held in Lagos the programme is coming at a time when all over the country the girl-child has been disadvantaged stressing that this is an attempt to strike a balance, as it were, to make the girls catch up with the males in the corporate world.

Okwu disclosed that apart from exposing the final-year students to role models, interactive and corporate sessions, and the programme is also designed to empower female students for life after school.

“The objective is not only to visit but also to interact with professionals in their field of work so as to give the learner a hands-on experience in a work environment and to expose her to different career options available in the marketplace,” he said.

“Beyond the practical exposure, the girls will be able to get into the mainstream and will be capable of handling a lot of jobs that are often reserved for the men. On our part, we are open to ideas that will take the programme to the next level and make it more productive for the young girls,” he added.

He further enjoined female undergraduate students to pursue careers in the corporate sector after their education, urging them to see this as an opportunity to transfer their knowledge in school to the corporate world.

The participating students on their part while commenting on their experience throughout the course of the project, expressed delight at having such an opportunity to gain work-related exposure which will further boost their experience outside classroom learning.

Peace Njoku, a 400-level Philosophy student, believes that the ‘take a girl student to work’ initiative is much more beneficial to students because it empowers them for future challenges in the workplace.

According to her, the ‘take a girl child to work’ programme has been able to empower the girl-child on not just how to make money, but also how to love the job and function well in any department she finds herself in future. She further disclosed that the programme has broadened her knowledge of team spirit in the workplace which will come in handy when she eventually graduates.