By Meletus EZE
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) says it has trained 630 Cross River indigenes on various skills under the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) and the Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP).
Mr Joseph Ari, the Director-General of ITF, said this on Tuesday in Calabar at an interactive session with journalists on the activities of the fund.
He said that the training took place across the state in 2018.
Ari, who was represented by Mrs Ifeyinwa Anozie, the ITF Area Manager, Calabar said that the training was part of efforts at reducing unemployment in Nigeria by the ITF.
“In order to stem the spiraling unemployment, drive President Muhammad Buhari’s job creation efforts and address specific gaps revealed by the Skills Gap Survey, the ITF came up with a list of implementable programmes.
“These include NISDP, WOSEP; Air Conditioning and Refrigeration; Designing and garment making and programme for physically challenged.
According to him, the programmes trained about 300,000 Nigerians that were all empowered with start-up packs.
“About 630 indigenes of Cross River were trained under the NISDP and WOSEP,’’ he said.
He expressed satisfaction over the steady progress of the trainees after their graduation, adding that most of them were currently doing well in their chosen skills.
“I am pleased to note that most of the beneficiaries are today in paid employment or are successful entrepreneurs,’’ he said.
Ari said that the decree establishing ITF in 1971 mandated it to among other functions, provide, promote and encourage the acquisition of skills in industry and commerce.
“This is with a view to generating a pool of indigenous trained manpower sufficient to meeting the needs of the private and public sectors of the economy,’’ the DG said.
According to him, the trainees were tutored in various skills including food processing, tailoring, fashion design, tie and dye and cosmetology.
He urged state governments, organisations and individuals to support the activities of ITF’s at reducing unemployment in the country by sponsoring additional trainees for the fund’s acquisition programmes.
He said that such sponsorship would comprise payment of monthly stipends to trainees; payment of master craftsmen allowance and provision of start-up to trainees.===NAN
