PLASMIDA Employment Initiative organized a comprehensive two-day employers engagement workshop titled “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Public-Private Collaboration for Sustainable Employment in Plateau State” at Crispan Hotel and Suites. The event united employers from both public and private sectors to foster meaningful dialogue. It is also to build a more robust, inclusive job market for Plateau State. Two-day collaborative summit tackles youth unemployment and workforce development challenges in Plateau State.
Director General Bonkam Wuyep stressed the critical importance of public-private collaboration in addressing unemployment and underemployment across the state. He highlighted PLASMIDA Employment Initiative’s pivotal role in connecting skilled youth with employers. He noted that such stakeholder engagements create platforms for open dialogue, align workforce training with industry needs, and develop inclusive employment policies.
Wuyep acknowledged the strong support from Executive Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang. The governor prioritized human capital development and job creation across key sectors including agriculture and transportation. He also recognized Secretary to the State Government, Architect Samuel N. Jatau, for fostering a business-friendly environment that aligns skills development with industry demands.
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The Director General expressed appreciation for partnerships with organizations like GIZ (SKYE) and emphasized that building an inclusive, productive workforce requires collective responsibility beyond government efforts alone.
Focus on Decent Work and Employment Access
The workshop’s opening presentation by Sherrifat Yunusa addressed “Strengthening Access to Decent Work in the Public Service Ecosystem.” She outlined decent work as encompassing productive and fair employment, safe working conditions, fair income and social protection, workplace rights and dignity, and opportunities for personal development.
Yunusa highlighted decent work’s benefits, including poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, strengthened social cohesion, and inclusive economic growth. She also identified key challenges such as skills mismatches, limited job opportunities, informality, discrimination, and unsafe working conditions.
Job Center Partnership Opportunities
Mrs. Turray Jennifer presented PLASMIDA’s Job Center services, emphasizing how employer partnerships fulfill corporate social responsibility by directly reducing unemployment and creating safer communities. She outlined the comprehensive support system, including government backing, stable workforce engagement platforms, feedback sessions, integration monitoring, and both pre- and post-placement support.
Jennifer encouraged employers to leverage the Job Center’s simple, efficient approach to workforce building and shared success stories of volunteers who became permanent staff members.
Interactive Problem-Solving Sessions
The workshop featured breakout sessions where participants divided into four groups to address practical challenges:
• Groups A & B: “What challenges do employers face when hiring young people, and what actions can solve them?”
• Groups C & D: “What problems exist in collaborating with PES partners, and what steps can address them?”
Dr. Mrs. Ulan Jatau, wife of the Secretary to the State Government, welcomed participants and encouraged them to maximize the workshop’s potential for improving their workforce and organizations.
The first day of the PLASMIDA Employment Initiative concluded with participants noting the workshop’s educational value and mind-opening discussions on employment challenges and solutions in Plateau State.