ASPIRE Foundation’s ‘Enhance’ Event: Empowering Future Professionals
On Saturday, August 19th, 2023, ASPIRE Foundation organized a transformative one-day workshop, part of its ‘Enhance’ event series, at the Student Union Government’s (SUG) Senate Chambers of the University of Calabar. This event is a key component of ASPIRE’s mentorship program, aimed at fostering professional competencies and skills among tertiary institution undergraduates and graduates.
Objectives and Participation
The ‘Enhance’ event series, as articulated by the Founder, is designed to support the development of professional skills through seminars, role-play exercises, and mock assessments. Participants receive feedback to help them improve. For this particular event, over 40 participants, including beneficiaries of ASPIRE Foundation’s scholarship scheme and other students from tertiary institutions in Cross River State, registered and actively engaged in the activities.
Event Highlights
Introduction and Overview:
The event began with an introduction to the ‘Enhance’ series and an overview of ASPIRE Foundation by its Chairman and Founder. He explained the event’s objectives and activities, emphasizing the foundation’s philosophy and core values. He encouraged participants to embrace these values as a means to achieve meaningful success in their academic and professional journeys.
Keynote Address by Mr. Yegwa Ukpo:
The highlight of the day was a keynote address by Mr. Yegwa Ukpo, the Group CEO of TSI Holdings, who spoke on professional development. His engaging presentation focused on the preparation, discipline, dedication, and sacrifice needed to excel professionally. He emphasized the importance of setting future goals, identifying one’s passion, and acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue a chosen career path.
Mr. Ukpo stressed the importance of continuous learning through research, seminars, workshops, and practical experiences shared by experts. He highlighted the need for interpersonal and communication skills, leadership qualities, and participation in professional networks. He also underscored the significance of identifying and engaging mentors to guide one’s professional growth.
Presentations On The Topic: ‘my career aspirations after university’
The ‘Enhance’ event also featured individual’s power-point presentations by ASPIRE Foundation’s undergraduate beneficiaries and other interested non- beneficiaries who were tasked to state and discuss within 10 minutes what their main career objective/goal would be after completion of their university education and to also explain how they intend to pursue and achieve it. In addition, they were to identify and discuss at least one or two career goal(s) in the event that they are unable to pursue their primary objective. Those that responded and made the list of presenters under the ASPIRE Foundation’s scholarship scheme were the duo Messrs. Ubana Obasesam and ThankGod Okoi Abam (400 and 300 level students respectively of the Dept. of Medicine and Surgery, UNICAL). Others were Obono, Marvelous Ofem (400 level Student of Mechanical Engineering, CRUTEC now UNICROSS) and Gift Ibiang Ebri (400 level female student of Nursing, UNICAL). Each of the presenters passionately spoke about what attracted them to choose their professional courses, what they would do with it and how after completion of their studies. However, they all differed in their presentations regarding alternative career goal(s) they would set and achieve in the event that they are unable to pursue their primary objective.
After their sequence of presentations, each of them was provided feedback by the event facilitators and Assessors and advised on areas they needed to improve their presentational skills and ensure audience communication is more effective and efficient. The areas pointed out included:
Proper use of allocated time
Ethical ways to observe and comport oneself in delivering presentations
Using the formal structure and Logic in presenting the contents of the information being communicated
Speaking to the slides being displayed during presentations rather than reading through them as though delivering a speech
Team-based Exercises And Presentations
The ‘Enhance’ event also featured team-based exercises and presentations centered on a hypothetical problem thrown to all participants in groups of 5 for 30 minutes plenary discussions and 5 minutes presentation of findings by each group before the seated Government Officials.
The case study was about the Calabar-Itu Federal Highway that links Cross River and Akwa Ibom State in the South-South Nigeria which has been in a state of disrepair for many years without serious intervention. The Federal Government however, was planning to reconstruct the road and was also considering whether to dualize it or not. Based on these options of road reconstruction and as teams of consultants commissioned to advise the Federal Government on this, each group was expected to advise the Government on the feasibility of carrying out the road reconstruction project at the total cost of ₦30bn with 2 construction companies (one Nigerian and the other foreign) bidding for the job and following the 5 Terms of References outlined for them.
While the groups were carrying out both discussions and presentation of findings regarding the assignment, the facilitators and assessors on the other hand, had to move round assessing and scoring team performances (on a scale 1 – 5) against the evidenced-based competencies such as adaptability, analytical and leadership skills as well as communicative, influencing and interpersonal skills.
At the end of the group discussions and presentations, the assessment result as presented by the lead Assessor, Mr. Emmanuel Monn (CEO of Independent Consult) showed group 2 leading with a total of 19 points followed by group 5 with 18 points. However, groups 1 and 4 tied with 17 points, while group 3 had the least score of 15 points.
Thereafter, the Assessor feedback was provided to participants on areas where some groups fared well and others couldn’t as result of poor compliance with rules on team-based discussions and presentations. There was also a question-and-answer session where participants were given opportunities to ask questions concerning the exercises carried out, their academic goals and future careers after graduation as well as any issues bothering on their professional development. In response, the Chairman and Founder of ASPIRE Foundation supported by his team of facilitators took time to address and throw more light on the concerns raised by the participants.
The ‘Enhance’ event eventually came to a close with the closing remarks said by the Chairman of Foundation, Engineer Kasi Usani who commended and congratulated participants for finding time to attend the event and for participating actively in the activities that took place. He hoped that eventually, participants actually enjoyed themselves taking part in all the varied exercises, had benefited from the engagement and most importantly been inspired to aspire in line with the mantra of the Foundation. He assured beneficiaries and other participants that more of these events would continue to be organized by the Foundation in order to help them develop their competencies, knowledge and skills to cope with the ever-changing world. Before departure, all participants were paid transport allowances to take care of their transport costs to and from the event.
Participant Reactions
The participants were deeply inspired and motivated by Mr. Ukpo’s insights. They expressed their appreciation for his practical advice and committed to applying his guidance in their personal and professional lives.
Conclusion
The ‘Enhance’ event by ASPIRE Foundation was a resounding success, providing invaluable insights and practical skills to the participants. As ASPIRE Foundation continues its mission to empower and uplift students and graduates, events like these play a crucial role in shaping the future leaders and professionals of tomorrow.
