Career and Self Employment Training

One of our major assignments during our Mission in Nigeria, is to train departing Elders and Sisters. The training is unique in Africa and most parts of the mission system of the Church. Prior to leaving the Lagos East and Lagos West Missions, the Elders and Sisters are brought in from their work areas to Lagos for Saturday through Wednesday morning. The Missions feel strongly enough about this training that they arrange for Hotel accommodations for the sisters and the Elders "bunk" up with the Zone Leaders and A.P.'s. The Mission makes sure they have food and all the things needed to come to training Sunday afternoon 1 PM to 5 PM. And then, Monday and Tuesday all day, starting at 8:30 AM. The Stake President makes the High Council Room available. It is air conditioned, has a white board, nice chairs and carpet on the floor. Totally unexpected in Nigeria, because every other floor is hard, smooth material.

We train the Career Workshop on Sunday and Monday. It teaches them how to recognize what they have learned as missionaries. They gain skills in time management, budgeting, communications, goal setting and producing positive results, grooming, training skills, negotiating skills, study skills, presentation skills and many others. Our first task is to change their Paradigm from, "Serving a Mission is a Sacrifice," to "Serving a Mission has provided me with powerful life skills that will put me 2 years in front of my competition in the work force or the University environment". We do this exercise for only about 30 minutes, but it is really powerful and builds the foundation for the next two days of work.

They learn interview skills through mock interviews and critiquing each other. They learn to prepare Resume's and other business or professional communications. They learn to network and find mentors who can help them with employment searches or gain admission to the University or Professional school they want to attend. We work them very hard for the 2 1\2 days. Short time frames for every exercise and really push them to show them how business or university life will be.

The Self Employment Workshop, held on Tuesday, teaches them the basics of Entrepreneurship. How to start a business, look for start up financing, prepare a business plan and find mentors to guide them through the start up of a new enterprise. India started through a major phase of new business formation starting 20 years ago. They have created more millionaires in that 20 year period than any other country in the world, including the U S of A. Nigeria needs to do the same.

The young people are bright and some are energetic and "get it". Some have no exposure to the labor market or entrepreneurship at all. They are kind of like some of the young people in the US who think they are entitled to everything their parents have after 30 or 40 years of marriage. The Elders and Sisters and the old Elders and Sisters are pretty wiped out at the end of the 2 1\2 days, but it is so worth the time and effort. We'll post a picture of this group. The internet is like the water and power, not reliable, and not much of it when we have it.