.

Dayo Johnson Akure

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has flagged off the orientation ceremony for 540 youths of the Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B- NOAS) and Advanced National Open Apprenticeship Scheme ( A- NOAS) in Ondo state.

Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo said in Akure that the scheme was geared towards giving participants the skills to become employers of labour and further helped in reducing unemployment.

Fikpo noted that one of the strategies adopted by the NDE in addressing the scourge of unemployment in the country was the skill acquisition programme through its National Open Apprenticeship Scheme NOAS

Speaking on his behalf, the Ondo state coordinator of the NDE, Mr Bode Ogunyankinnu said in Akure that 360 trainees were carefully selected ( 20 per local government) for B- NOAS and another 180 trainees ( 10 per local government) for N- NOAS who will be trained by proficient trainees in various skills.

The skills include barbing, basic tailoring, hairdressing, welding,event planning, make- up, confectionery among others.

Fikpo said ” the Federal goverement in her bid to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country has mandated the NDE through it’s vocational skills department to ensure that youths are trained in the acquisition of emerging and trendy skills so as to be self reliant, gainfully employed and also contribute to the development of the nation.

In order to achieve these objective, he said that the Directorate espoused various schemes in training the youths which include the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme which consists of the Basic and Advanced.

” The B- NOAS is designed to train unemployed and unskilled school leavers through skills acquisition.

” The youths are recruited and posted to master craftmen and women who are informed sectors operators for skills acquisition training. The trainers use their training facilities to impart skill to the trainees.

Fikpo added that “the A- NOAS is designed for artisans who are graduates of B- NOAS, it is aimed at up- Skilling the B- NOAS graduate trainees to equip them with higher level of competence.

Both training according to him would last for three months and trainees will be presented certificates and stipend.

He appealed to public spirited individuals, NGOs and government at all levels to augment the effort to of the directorate in empowering the graduates.

The Director General charged the participants to be punctual, regular and attentive during the training period.

Beneficiaries wlauded the NDE and said that sustaining such a scheme would go a long way in reducing unemployment in the country.