…Seeks collaboration with NUC, varsities, Ministry of Education for certification
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Towards fighting unemployment, redefining education and empowering aspiring entrepreneurs, Hero Lager, a flagship product of the International Breweries, and a member of AB InBev, has unveiled a The Hero Apprenticeship System. This is a visionary programme aimed at bridging the gap between traditional apprenticeships and formal education.
At a media launch held at the Onitsha Business School, Anambra State, yesterday, the Marketing Manager, Hero Lager, Dubem Orji, said that Hero would collaborate with Nigerian universities, the Nigerian University Commission (NUC), and the Ministry of Education to ensure that the apprenticeship course receives the certification and recognition it deserves within the educational landscape.
“The goal for us is to elevate the apprenticeship, making it more aspirational and a means for tackling unemployment. The Hero Apprenticeship System pioneers a pan-Nigerian knowledge-based curriculum, providing young entrepreneurs who have completed diverse trade apprenticeships with access to university education opportunities. Developed in collaboration with renowned academic experts and researchers, the curriculum transforms informal business training into a formalized syllabus, integrating specialized trade skills with general studies courses.
“The Hero Apprenticeship System aims to collaborate with Nigerian universities, the Nigerian University Commission (NUC), and the Ministry of Education. This partnership will ensure that the apprenticeship course achieves the certification and recognition it deserves within the educational landscape,” he said.
He disclosed that successful applicants completing the three-month tertiary education course will be granted access to a substantial pool of N100 million seed fund, provided as interest-free loans, enabling them to kick-start their businesses with the necessary resources.
“Now after completing their informal business training under a trade mentor, apprentices can proceed to the university to acquire formal business training to consolidate their learning. The first batch of beneficiaries will be a total of 250 entrepreneurs,” Orji said.
Speaking at the event, the Anambra State Commissioner for Industry, Christian Udechukwu, said that the state government under Governor Chukwuma Soludo is fully in support of the innovative idea by Hero Lager even as he described “The IgbaBoi Apprenticeship System as the greatest business incubator in the world”.
The Apprenticeship curriculum was developed on Hero Lager’s request by five professors – Olusegun Sogbesan, Simon Ade Akinteye, Prof Olalekan BusraSakariyau, Prof Nath Orji, and Kingsley Chiwuike Ukaoha.
Hero Brand Ambassador, Nollywood legend, Nkem Owoh, the first female professor of Mass Communication in sub-Saharan Africa, Chinyere Stella Okunna; Nollywood legend and Vice Chancellor of Paul University, Ven. Prof Obiora Nwosu, were among the dignitaries that graced the event.