As part of efforts to tackle unemployment in the state, the Chairman of the Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State, Abdul-Hamed Salawu, in collaboration with Somolu Tech Innovation and an information technology start-up firm, Tech Shepherd, has organised the second edition of the free ICT training for youths in Somolu.

According to a statement made available to Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, Salawu, represented by the Supervisor of Youth and Sports, Hector Ayo-Coker, unveiled SKILLSHOP, a four-day intensive tech boot camp catering to over 100 registered youths from across Lagos State at the council secretariat.

The statement read, “Over 130 youths registered for the FREE SKILLSHOP. However, only 64 were able to physically attend the training sessions held at the Tech Shepherd’s facility in Somolu. To ensure quality instruction, seven competent and certified facilitators and tech trainers were engaged to impart knowledge to the participants in their chosen skills.

“The boot camp is designed to train participants in front-end web development, and UI/UX design after which selected participants will be offered a six-week scholarship to improve on their chosen skills.”

Reflecting on the success of the previous free ICT training held in November 2022, where 65 youths were trained in coding, UI/UX design, and digital marketing, Salawu said the second edition would build on that achievement.

He added, “Building on the success of our previous free ICT training in November 2022, where we successfully trained over 65 youths in Somolu and neighbouring areas in coding, UI/UX design, and digital marketing. Today, we are launching #SKILLSHOP which underscores our unwavering commitment to nurturing talent and fostering self-sufficiency among our youth in the field of ICT.

“During this course of SKILLSHOP, we will be training over 100 registered youths free of charge in front-end web development, UI/UX design, and other digital skills. Additionally, selected participants will be awarded a six-week scholarship to further enhance their skills in these areas.”