BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
NIGERIA Employers Consultative Association, NECA, has advised Nigerian youths to acquire competent skills that would enable them become self-employed and entrepreneurs rather than join the growing list of the unemployed in the country.

Director General of NECA, Mr. Segun Oshinowo, spoke at the graduating ceremony of technicians who completed nine months technical skills training programme initiated by Industrial Training Fund and the NECA in collaboration with the Nigerdock Nigeria Plc, Snake Island, Lagos.

Represented by Mrs Helen Jemerigbe, the Director, Technical Skills Development Project, the NECA DG, noted that the project was informed by the dearth of skilled manpower in welding, mechatronics, mechanics, plumbing among others in industries, saying the acquired skills would make the graduating technicians relevant in the Oil and Gas industry.

Oshinowo said NECA was currently working with ITF to showcase the model which government could adopt in tackling the menace of unemployment in the country and to provide the right skills in the labour market for industries.

Besides, he said the partnership had led to the promotion of technical and vocational skill education that is required by member companies to use to pursue their own objectives.

According to him, “The NECA-ITF Technical Skills Development Project is a joint initiative designed to promote the availability of middle-level manpower with appropriate technical and vocational skills to meet the identified maintenance needs of industries.

“The objectives of the project are to promote a public-private sector model in technical and vocational skills training, contribute to capacity building, and prepare participating youths for life-after-school by raising their awareness of entrepreneurship and job creation.”

Speaking also at the occasion, ITF Director, Consultancy, Research and Information Technology, Mr. Samuel Alabi identified inadequate funding and dearth of infrastructure as major challenges militating against the expansion of the project.

He however expressed hope that with the transformation agenda of the present administration, the project would witness rapid expansion across the country in the next few years.