UNIABUJA Announces a Student Employment Scheme

The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na Allah, has introduced a student employment scheme.

He announced this during his first visit to the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) unit on the 2nd of July, 2019. He also renamed the unit the Centre for Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme and Student Employment (CSSE), charging the unit with the additional responsibility of creating and coordinating employment opportunities for students within the University.

Francis Ebeshi, a 400 level Crop Science student said: “It’s a welcome innovation indeed and truly a big step in the right direction. The program is in line with the mandate of the regular Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme as it aims at giving students a qualitative orientation of working environment out there and human relations skills at workplaces.”

He continued by saying, “I personally commend the efforts of the Vice-Chancellor to implement this program, which I called a modified SIWES. The Vice-Chancellor, during his first meeting, did mention that he’ll (among other things) implement an employment scheme where some students who are qualified shall be trained and that upon graduation, students with outstanding performance may have an employment opportunity in the University.

“So I personally commend his effort towards making it a success in less than one month after pronouncing it. I’m proud to be one of the applicants today and I’m hopeful that I’ll be shortlisted to participate in the program.”

Adeola Adeyemi, a 400 level student of the Faculty of Agriculture also commended the Vice-Chancellor and noted that it was long overdue.

Some criteria were laid down for interested applicants. They are:

1. Students must have a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.50 with no outstanding or carry over courses.
2. First-year students are not eligible but will become eligible only after the second semester of their first year when their cumulative grade points are known.
3. Students must be of good behaviour and character.
4. Generally, interested students must in addition to a minimum CGPA of 3.50 possess the following attributes as an added advantage:
   • Have a good command of English both spoken and written.
   • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
   • Must be innovative and computer literate.
   • Must possess IT skills relevant to positions being sought.
   • Be able to handle social media.
   • Can help build online brands where necessary and applicable.
   • Good communication skills.
   • Good customer service relationship.
   • Should show the ability to be calm in complex situations.
   • Show leadership skills in managing multiple teams.
   • Possess a team spirit.
   • Be emotionally and physically strong.
   • Be able to prioritize tasks to give timely deliverable services.

Efforts to reach the management’s PRO as at the time of submitting this report proved abortive.