The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says it has commenced the training of 20 youths under the Federal Mobile Skill Acquisition programme in Imo.
The Director-General of the agency, Mr Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, said this on Monday at an orientation ceremony organised for the trainees in Owerri.
Nuhu-Fikpo, represented by the Imo NDE Coordinator, Mrs Ngozi Iheanacho, said the training was captured under the Directorate’s School-On-Wheels (SOW) skill acquisition empowerment scheme.
He described the scheme as a mobile training programme, involving the training of persons, who would be deployed to rural areas where there were few or no craftsmen.
He further said that the beneficiaries would serve as trainers, who would impart the skills they acquired to unemployed persons in their areas of deployment.
He thanked the management of NDE for reviving the scheme which, he said, went moribund for over 10 years.
Nuhu-Fikpo assured the trainees of a settlement package at the end of their training.
He also thanked the Imo Government for providing the enabling environment for the activities of the directorate to thrive.
“We are grateful to NDE, especially the Vocational Skills Development (VSD) Department, for reviving the scheme, giving it life again for the benefit of Nigerians.
“We also thank Gov. Hope Uzodimma for providing the conducive environment, leading to the successes in our various activities,” he said.
Speaking, the VSD Director, Mr Isa Abdul, urged the participants to focus more on the training than settlement package.
Abdul, who was represented by Mrs Modesta Ezeukwu, a senior staff member of VSD, urged the trainees to be focused and punctual to the training so as to get the best.
“Always remember that, although there is a settlement package, the skills you acquire now are for a lifetime, hence the need to focus more on the skills than package,” he said. (NAN)
