Empowerment: 11,000 youth to benefit from ITF’s training
The Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari has said that over 11,000 trainees from across the 36 states and the FCT are to benefit from the present phase of its National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) aimed at creating jobs and reducing poverty amongst unemployed youths in the country.
He said this in Lokoja during the graduation ceremony and presentation of start-up parks/certificates to 276 youth in Kogi State trained at the Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC), Lokoja, under the ITF’s NISDP.
The DG, who was represented at the event by Mrs Roseline Melumoh, said the beneficiaries who were trained for three months in tailoring/fashion design, welding/fabrication and plumbing/pipe-fitting would be handed start up packs to enable them be self-reliant and successful entrepreneurs.
He charged the beneficiaries to maximize the opportunity given to them by ITF and warned them against selling the working tools presented to them.
Earlier, the Training Manager in charge of the Industrial Skills Training Centre, Lokoja, Mr Ibrahim Umar called on the Kogi State government to collaborate with the centre to enable youths in the state benefits from the various vocational skills training opportunities that abound at the centre.
Kogi State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sani Ogu Salisu while commending ITF for empowering youths in the state, noted that the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello was committed to reducing youth unemployment in the state through vocation skills acquisition and training initiatives.