By Femi Dansu
In line with its ongoing partnership with CWAY Nigeria Dairy Limited, the Career Services and Linkages Unit (CSLU) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), today, August 16, 2024, organised a graduate internship interview for selected graduating students from the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine (COLVET), Animal Science & Livestock Production (COLANIM), and Engineering (COLENG) who had earlier expressed interest in the programme.
Dr. Mathew Oose, Head of CSLU, highlighted the significance of the initiative, recalling that CWAY Nigeria had recently facilitated an Employability Workshop at FUNAAB, which saw participation from over 700 graduating students.
He emphasised that the Workshop addressed critical issues of graduate employability in Nigeria, where less than 12% of university graduates secure decent employment within 18 months post-graduation.
Dr. Oose explained that the session was part of efforts to bridge the gap between the skills of university graduates and the expectations of employers, noting that many employers have voiced concerns about the readiness of graduates for the workforce.
He, however, stressed that pre-employment training programmes like the internship programme have become essential.
Commenting on the process, he stated that out of the 44 candidates shortlisted for the interview, 22 were selected for various positions, including Herd Data Handling, Farm Equipment Maintenance, Milking Machine Maintenance, and Laboratory Internships.
The interview panel included representatives from CWAY Nigeria, such as Mr. Benson Zheng, Bennete Zhang, Mr. Victor Oguike, and Mr. Noah Ogunkunle.
Also in attendance were key FUNAAB officials, including the Dean of COLENG, Prof. Olawale Dairo; Dean of COLANIM, Prof. Abimbola Oso; Dean of COLVET, Prof. Olusola Ajayi; Prof. Thomas Fabunmi; and the Senior Assistant Registrar of CSLU, Mrs. Bimpe Alabi.
