The Federal Government says it has commenced the training of youths as part of government’s commitment to providing solutions to youth unemployment in the country.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), made this known during the opening of the programme in Warri, Delta on Monday.
Keyamo said this in a statement signed by Charles Akpan, the Deputy Director Press in the ministry.
He said training of youths in the South-South zone in vocational skills and trades would address youth unemployment in the zone.
According to him, the training is part of government’s commitment to providing solutions to youth unemployment through the National Training Programme for Youths on Vocational Skills Acquisition/Emerging Trades.
He said that the training, organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was a nationwide programme to promote skills development targeting the youths with the South-South region as the first beneficiary.
Keyamo disclosed that the programme would train youth of the South-South region in targeted trades, in line with the skill demands available in the region with a view to creating employers out of them.
“The programme is organised in batches to accommodate an expected large turnout of participants and to increase its coverage and impact in the region.
“The nationwide training will also provide relevant information, resources and incentives for the development of skills, entrepreneurship and enterprises necessary for national growth.
“The intervention programme seeks to complement and boost the conventional skills development trainings available at our existing centres nationwide.
“This is where individuals, corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations, government and private companies send their personnel to learn skills, most of whom are gainfully employed, while others are self-employed and some employers,” he said.
The minister said that such trainings would not only equip the youths with skills to make a living and create employment for others but would also lure them away from social vices and crimes.
Keyamo said that the initiative resonated with government’s commitment to ensuring youth inclusiveness in its plans and programmes.
He said that the formal employment had proven to be insufficient, giving rise to an increase in informal employment, “which is largely considered as the driving force of most developing countries’ economies.”
He said that in clear terms this necessitated the need for schemes that would equip the youth with specialised skills to empower them for gainful employment both in the formal and informal markets.
Keyamo said skills acquisition and upgrading was the bedrock for social and economic development of any nation and would consequently lead to job creation and self-sustenance for the teeming youth.”
He urged the participants to make the best of the opportunity given them as their impressive performance would “spur government to do more in the area of Youth trainings/empowerment and open doors for employment and wealth creation.”
The Director, Skills Development and Certification Department, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Amos Johnson, said that the training would fill the skill gap and employers need in the South-South zone.
He noted that the ministry’s mandates include developing programmes to promote technical and vocational skills.
The Director, South-South Zonal Headquarters, Ehigbai Iziren, said that the Federal Government’s deliberate engagement of the youths in that zone on quality trainings, skill acquisition and employment would effectively improve the growth and development of that region.
He commended the Federal Government for taking such a bold initiative to address the rising youth unemployment situation in the region.
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