ITF to Graduate 11,000 Youths
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is set to graduate over 11,000 youths trained under one of the fund’s skills acquisition programmes - the National Industrial Skills Development Program (NISDP) - it introduced and implemented to facilitate federal government’s policy on job and wealth creation.
The fund has also completed and is set to commission four of its projects across Nigeria between February, 20-28.
The Director General of ITF, Joseph Ari, who disclosed this to journalists at a media briefing in Jos, recently, also affirmed the commitment of the fund to ensure full actualisation of its mandates by gearing up more in skill acquisition trainings that would enhance gainful employment and grow the nation’s economy in 2020.
He said the graduating trainees were trained for a period of three months in the last quarter of 2019, adding that they would be empowered with a start-up packs with which they could begin their own businesses.
“They were equipped with skills in nine grades, which include leather works (shoe and bag making), welding and fabrication, catering and event management, production and laying of interlock tiles, furniture making, domestic electrical wiring and installation, solar energy installation, plumping and pipe fitting and lastly auto-gelle and beauty care.
“The trade areas were chosen in view of their potential to provide sustainable livelihood of the students. Our commitment to skills acquisition is based on the fact that it’s the most proven solution to combating unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country”, he explained.
Ari, also said since its inception, the NISDP has equipped over 450,000 Nigerians with skills for employability and entrepreneurship, vowing to “escalate hands-on skills in all homes in Nigeria.”
The projects that would be commissioned are: the fund’s Lagos Island Area office complex, its headquarters library complex in Jos, the Mechatronics workshop at its Industrial Skills Training Center (ISTC) in Kano, and also the Katsina Area office complex.
He said though challenging, ITF has tremendously improved the Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) that was initiated to provide students of Engineering, technical and allied discipline with practical experience, by stepping up engagement with supervising agencies and other stakeholders.
The Director General also disclosed that ITF was organising a maiden National Skills Summit in furtherance of its mandate and in line with the Federal Government policy on Youth Empowerment with technical vocational skills.
According to him, “The aim of the summit is designed to serve as a platform to articulate strategies and actionable steps for developing employable skills to enhance job creation in Nigeria.”