By Dikachi Franklin, in Owerri
IN ITS CONTINUED EFFORT to create job opportunities in the country which may help to breed a new generation of entrepreneurs with the resultant effect of curbing some social vices caused by unemployment, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has trained 300 Imo youths in various trades.
The trades include welding, fabrication, plumbing, pipe-fitting, tailoring, aluminium works, tiling, photography, plaster of paris (POP), among others.
Those trained were carefully selected based on their potential to directly impact the economy of Imo State and Nigeria by extension.
The closing ceremony of the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) took place in Owerri recently.
Joseph Ntung Ari, the director-general of ITF, who was represented by Dakwak Lami Selle, the director of technical skills training department, headquarters, Jos said over 15,000 youths and about 600 from Imo State have been trained between 2017 and 2018, adding that the essence of the training is to give a frontal attack to unemployment because any society that fails to empower its youths is bound to fail.
“Our commitment to skills acquisition is based on the fact that it is the most sustainable solution to combating unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country. It is incontrovertible that any society that neglects the development of its human capital is bound to retrogress in terms of growth and development,” he added.
He further disclosed that their earlier monitoring and evalua Chamber tion of former graduates revealed that where training occurs without empowering them with the required tools, the training becomes less impactful and as a result ITF decided to empower all the beneficiaries with start-up kits, like building tools, tape, pinchers, machetes, plumb, saw, trowel, metal saw etc.
Joseph Ari noted that, owing to the desire to fill the skills gaps identified by ITF/UNIDO, “our target this year is to vigorously work to equip Nigerians with lifelong skills in agriculture, construction, transport and services sector that were identified by the survey to have great potential for job creation.”
According to Simon Ogbonna, co-ordinator of ITF, Imo State, the beneficiaries would be supervised from time to time over a six month period, adding that the programme will continue later in the year.
