High unemployment rate: NECA wants FG to focus on apprenticeship

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association has urged the Federal Government to focus on apprenticeship as a means of tackling the rising unemployment rate in Nigeria.

The Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smart Oyerinde, made the call in a statement he issued on Monday.

This followed the recently concluded International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.

Oyerinde said: “With the rising rate of unemployment in the world and Nigeria facing a major unemployment crisis, apprenticeship has been identified as a veritable means of tackling the scourge.

“It is no gainsaying that with over 35 per cent unemployment rate and a challenged economy like ours, government must look beyond the usual to tackle the ticking time-bomb.”

The Director General noted that the conversation on apprenticeship had gained prominence all over the world.

He said there was no better time for the government to address the country’s current challenge of rising unemployment with a deliberate apprenticeship policy.

Oyerinde said: “It is pleasing to note that Nigeria is ahead of the world in the promotion of apprenticeship and technical and vocational skills training through a public-private partnership scheme with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

“The project with ITF remains a model project, equipping thousands of Nigerian youths with scalable skills and competencies that will make them relevant and useful in the Industry, thereby adding value to the economy.

“The ITF-NECA project has also been adjudged by the ILO as a model for addressing unemployment and skills mismatch in the country. The outcome of the discussions of the committee on apprenticeship at the ILO also gave credence to the need to refocus on apprenticeship and skills development.

“The setting of a new international labour standard in the form of a Recommendation on Apprenticeship no doubt gained wide acceptance by the constituents of the ILO.”

Oyerinde called for the current established framework and PPP model of the ITF-NECA already in place to be deepened for greater effect and impact.

He said: “Deliberate efforts should also be made to encourage more private sector operators to support apprenticeship with incentives that will motivate them to contribute effectively to the success and sustainability of the scheme.”