NBC Produces Set 29 of its Technical Training Centre

As an integral part of its corporate social responsibility, the Nigerian Bottling Company has graduated the 29th set of its Technical Training Centre (TTC).

At the ceremony held in the company’s head office in Ikeja Lagos, the set comprising 16 graduands were issued certificates having met the required moral and intellectual standard.

During the 15 months training, the graduands were drilled on the technical aspect of various line machines used in the beverage bottling industry. On completion of their programme, they displayed the project of the set: a Mechanical Trainer and a Lego Colour Sorter, which helps detect a half filled bottle in the production line.

In his address at the ceremony, Managing Director Nigeria Bottling Company, Ben Langat, said set 29 is a special set because unlike the previous sets, they were selected from the company’s casual workers.

He said the training is part of the commitment of the TTC “to support human capital development, improve productivity and stimulate value-added production capacity that stimulates economic growth”.

Langat therefore charged the graduands to use the knowlege impacted in them for the betterment of the larger society. He also promised to personally monitor their progress and support them in their career endeavors.He added that “engineers who are able to consistently create value through top performance are recognised and rewarded with accelerated career growth and opportunities for international assignments in the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group,” and any of the graduands who distinct himself will be rewarded as such.

Head of the Technical Training Centre, Tope Dada disclosed that the 16 graduands have been given automatic employment by the company and would soon be assigned to different NBC plants across the country.

He further disclosed that one out of five products of the TTC have moved into management positions, hence, the curriculum of the centre has been widened to prepare graduands for career in management. “We discovered that one out of five engineers who graduated from this centre have moved into management positions. We have therefore upgraded the curriculum so they can also venture into management not just remain in the technical department for life.

“This set of graduands have been automatically employed by the company and they will soon be resuming in their various plants across the nation,” he said. Chairman Association of Food , Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) Mr. Paul Gbedebo applauded the initiative of NBC through the TTC, saying such practical training is what the country needs at such a crucial time in the economy.

Gbedebo noted that technical training is the bedrock of growth and decried the inability of Nigerian tertiary institutions to impact technical knowledge.

“We are having a big challenge and this is the time to look inwards and embrace local content. I must applaud the NBC for doing this, it is one of the areas that manufacturing companies can held contribute to human development.