The Federal Government has elucidated the need to prioritise vocational training and skill acquisition in order to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness in the country.
During the third graduation ceremony of the ITF and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) Technical Skill Development Programme Batch four trainees in Lagos, Deputy Director/Training Manager of the Industrial Skill Training Center (ISTC) of the Industrial Training Fund, (ITF), Mr. Olasupo James Abimbola, made this statement.
He stated that the ISTC which offers over eight categories of technical and vocational training in various areas was established with only three trade areas.
According to Mr. Abimbola, the centre offers technical and vocational training in information and communication technology, electrical installation and maintenance and mechanical maintenance.
Other areas of specialised vocational and technical training offered by the ISTC, according to him, are in the areas of welding and metal fabrication, refrigeration and air conditioning and instrumentation, process control and autotronics and auto mechanic work.
Abimbola also explained that the centre had trained more than 2,541 trainees in 239 programmes for 220 organisations in various categories of training.
The ITF-NECA technical skills development programme is a joint initiative of the ITF and NECA. The programme was designed to facilitate the availability of middle level manpower with appropriate technical and vocational skill to bridge the identified skill gap and meet the technical manpower of the Nigerian economy.
In addition, Abimbola also noted that the graduating trainees had performed well in learning and character, and were worthy to be awarded the certificates in their chosen trade.
