By Ossom Raphael

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has joined forces with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to train 100 youths on eight vocational skills.

At the Kick Off Ceremony of the Skills Training Programmes on Monday in Anuja, Director General, Industrial Training Fund, Sir. Joseph Ari said the programme emerged when NCDMB delegation visited the ITF model skills training centre recently.

According to Ari, the training is important in driving economic growth through skills acquisition.

Ari, who was represented by Mrs. Yinka Shodunke, head Corporate Planning at ITF, said that during the first phase of the Programme, 254 unemployed youths were trained and empowered with start up kits.

“Through the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the Fund, some of the graduands are today gainfully employed or are entrepreneurs that are even employing other people.

“If Nigerians are equipped with the necessary skills, they will be better disposed and well placed to take advantage of numerous policies of the federal government designed to boost economy and improve the standard if living of Nigerians.

“The MSTC have achieved some giant strides and so far ensured the assembling of ITF Mobile phone by the centre with plans on the way to mass produce for the market and drive innovation in Nigeria,” Ari said.

The ITF Boss, therefore, urged the trainees of this phase of the programme to take outmost opportunity of the three months training so that by the end of the three months training, they would have acquired the necessary skills to be employable and contribute meaningfully to the economy.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr. Simbi Wabote noted that the trianing is second in series as the last one which took place last year had 254 youths trianed and equipped with the necessary skills needed to improve their capacity.

The Watobe who was represented by Dr. Ama Ikuru, the General Manager Capacity Building of NCDMB said it is worthy of note that the training has yielded positive results as over 60 per cent of beneficiaries from the last phase are now entrepreneurs.

He said the training is designed for beneficiaries to succeed as entrepreneurs which is why most of the emphasis is on skills acquisition.

“Each year the Board trains over 2,000 Nigerians in different training skills either through direct interventions or through collaborations and as at 2021 the number has moved to 3000 and more is hoped to be done in 2022.

“The Human capacity training programme has been tailored to meet specific demands of required skills in the country and it is aimed at complementing federal government’s efforts in job creation.

The eighth vocational training skills programmes include Building Technology, Industrial automation and mechatronics, residential air conditioning and refridgerating maintenance, mechanical services and maintenance.

Others are Electric/Electronics technology, mobile phone repairs and trouble shooting and Information/Communication Technology.