8Over 40 youths receive CPD UK accreditation and Ministry of Labour trade test certificates

By Elizabeth Osayande & Ifunanya Ndigwe

Etiwa Tech, a technical training academy, has partnered with Alaro City, a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use city development firm, to equip a new cohort of vocational graduates with international trade certifications, aiming to combat youth unemployment in Nigeria.

The graduation ceremony celebrated 44 young men and women who had successfully completed an intensive, seven-week training programme across four distinct technical trades: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; electrical wiring; plumbing; and masonry. The graduates will receive Continuing Professional Development accreditation from the United Kingdom, in addition to the official Trade Test Certification issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. This collaboration, now in its third cohort, aims to provide direct pathways to immediate employment and entrepreneurship across West Africa.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Managing Director of Etiwa Tech, Mrs Jody Adewale, praised the resilience of the students and highlighted the structural value of technical skills to the regional economy.

Adewale said, “Nigeria is full of talented and skilled people, and we can see that investing in skills has a lot of benefits, both financially and in terms of expressing yourself as a human being. Whether digital skills or vocational skills, you need to develop a skill and learn a craft because if a job is not readily available, you should be able to use those skills to make a living.”

The training curriculum combined rigorous practical workshops with personal discipline and professional ethics to prepare the students for real-world workplace challenges, drawing candidates through a strict selection process focused on indigent residents from Epe and Ibeju-Lekki.

Also speaking at the event, Head of Corporate Affairs at Alaro City, Ms Oluwaseyi Ashade, urged the graduates to maintain high operational standards as they enter the industrial market.

Ashade said, “Alaro City has been supporting the Skills Acquisition Programme as part of our education pillar under our CSR, and we have a total of 30 beneficiaries sponsored specifically from Epe for this cohort. We are passionate about the youth because youth development is a critical social development indicator for every country, and we are glad that we can put forward our position as a responsible corporate citizen while supporting our host community.”

The organisers revealed that the vocational initiative goes beyond classroom instructions, as a recent career fair organised by the academy saw three companies interview the trainees, resulting in 15 graduates receiving immediate letters of employment.

Reflecting on the impact of the program, a graduate of the electrical wiring trade who holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, Ms Oluwadamilola Adeshafe, noted how the scheme bridges the gap between formal education and employment.

Adeshafe said, “I did not have any experience with electricity before now, and I can say my skills have improved so much that I already got employment with Universal Homes, thanks to Etiwa Tech. I saw the opportunity and decided to take it because I have a passion for electronics, and I intend to improve my skills with them through hands-on experience and continuous studying.”

Another beneficiary who studied masonry, Mr Okonkwo Echezona Martins, emphasised that the training has changed his perspective on vocational labour and shaped his entrepreneurial dreams.

Martins said, “Initially, I came with the mindset of just getting the certification and leaving, but the moment I had the first lecture, it changed my orientation completely. What I intend to do when I leave here is to establish my own building company where I can offer masonry, plumbing, and solar installation services, which will enable me to train more people, and also create employment.”