-By Gertrude Onyekachukwu-UTEH:

AWELE MERCY EBENUWA enrolled in the Delta State Government’s Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) in the 2017/2018 cycle as an OND holder. She hails from Oshimili South Local Government Area. Through the STEP training and establishment in Catering and Confectionery, Mercy is out of the labour market and now the CEO of Awilla Treat, Asaba. Apart from training other youths, she has grown her enterprise to qualify as a job creation trainer. She feels fulfilled working for herself. Her story:

“The training I received from STEP took me out of the labour market. The orientation and personal effectiveness training (OPET) and the entrepreneurship and business management training (EBMT) were extraordinarily rich. They exposed me to record-keeping, good customer care and business management.

“Catering and confectionery are rewarding and lucrative. My business is growing as my products and services are in high demand. I have bought more equipment. So far, I have trained fourteen persons- ten from STEP and four persons privately. I have two employees.

“I am now self-reliant. From the proceeds of my business, I have bought a plot of land. I got married last year. I feel fulfilled working for myself”