With more than 60,000 youths registering on its unemployed database, the Lagos government has drawn a response plan with the 57 local government councils/ development councils as the number of jobless rise.

Nationally, the unemployment rate is said to hover between 28 and 33 per cent.

The increase in unemployment rates, the Commissioner, Ministry Of Wealth Creation And Employment, Hon (Mrs) Yetunde Arobieke, noted captures the crisis in the labour market.

According to her, unemployment cannot be resolved by the state government alone, but requires involvement of other state organisations.

Mrs Arobieke said the state government is to work with the local government chairmen to drive massive training programme to tackle rising unemployment, reskill people to find new work and increase businesses’ ability to stay afloat.

She noted that there was much to be gained by the state and local government combining resources and expertise to strengthen employment services to support young people in finding and keeping jobs.

To provide people with the tools they need to get better jobs, she said the ministry is embarking on a community talent hunt to equip youths with digital skills.

In partnership between local governments, she noted that the government is ready to work with local training providers, to ensure nobody is left behind in the massive plan to get youths IT skills compliant.

As part of its talent hunt partnership with Digital Age Consultants Limited , the Commissioner said the local councils have been asked to select Wealth Coordinators’ to work with the Ministry and the consultant to identify youths with talents that can be groomed to explore opportunities in the creative and other industries.

According to her, the benefiting youths will be mentored by business leaders from the various industries.

The two-month programme, she explained, was properly designed to ensure the products of the training will be people the Lagos government will be proud of entrepreneurship ambassadors, fulfilling their potential on the national stage.

She said the community talent hunt was a bold response by the government to help alleviate unemployment.

She said the government is committed to continuing its efforts to provide young people with their first jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships.

She said the government support solutions that get youth into productive employment, namely through building capabilities in young people, boosting private sector growth and job creation, encouraging entrepreneurship and the development of new firms, and improving information flows.

So far, she said noted that some employers which are partnering with the State government on the Graduate Internship Placement Programme (GIPP), have indicated their intention to retain them.

GIPP, according to him, provides an excellent platform to integrate young people into the world of work.

The Chief Executive, Digital Age Consultants Limited, Dr Ekunnusi Bimbola said his organisation is partnering with the Lagos government to create job and training opportunities for young people.

According to him, the organisation was determined to help young people build digital skills and become more entrepreneurial, preparing them to deal with digital transformation.