The Industrial Trust Fund is to train two million Nigerians annually as part of efforts to reduce youth restiveness and assist the Federal Government in diversifying the economy.
The Head of Publications and Media Relations of the ITF, Dr. Felix Otuwarikpo, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Otuwarikpo said the training was meant to enhance technical skills of youths to boost the economy and bridge the gaps in its various sectors.
Otuwarikpo said such trainings included partnership with the National Industrial Skills Development Programme, training 1,000 Nigerians in every state of the federation.
He said the ITF was partnering with the Federal Capital Territory and the National Employers Consultative Association in order to use employers’ facilities to equip trainees for employment.
Otuwarikpo said trainings were already ongoing in all its area offices simultaneously, adding that the ITF was also partnering with the organisations to achieve the two million people targeted for training annually.
He said: “ITF is partnering with the National Industrial Skills Development Programme, which is training 1,000 youths in 36 states, including the country’s capital.
“We are also partnering with the National Employers Consultative Association, which is the umbrella body of employers in the country.
“The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2011 in order to use the facilities of employers in equipping Nigerians for employment through training.
“At the end of the training, the employers will assess the trainees and possibly engage them.
“These training programmes were done in Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, where they were trained on mechatronics and general motor repairs; Nigerian Breweries, Lagos; Rough and Tumble Lagos; ITF Skills training centres in Ikeja; Kano Leventis Farms; and OCO Industries in Port-Harcourt.”
Otuwarikpo said 80 per cent of those trained were given automatic employment, adding that very few opted to establish business of their own.
He said the training had been running since 2011.
Otuwarikpo said the training scheme recently graduated 120 youths in Fashion Design and Garment Making at Rough and Tumble in Lagos and had trained 4,862 Nigerians from 2011 till date.
He said other trainings included the Students Industrial Work Experience Programmes for Engineering and Technical Education students in higher institutions and special intervention programmes for women.
Otuwarikpo said the ITF also partnered with state governments and companies on special requests.
He said: “ITF is already partnering with Lagos State as a pilot state and has already signed MoU with the Ebonyi State Government to train youths in the state in order to reduce youth restiveness and give them a source of livelihood.
“These states will serve as launch pads for other states.”
NAN.