By Haruna Salami
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has launched the first framework for National Apprenticeship and
Traineeship System (NATS) to train youths on skills acquisition that will enable them to be self-reliant
and tackle unemployment in the country.
The Director General/Chief Executive, Sir Joseph Ari says that the launch is aimed at effectively
deploying skills acquisition as a vehicle for combatting unemployment, reducing poverty and the overall
growth and development of Nigeria.
According to him, the pathway to this current policy of National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System
(NATS) has come on account of a robust trajectory of vision formulation; noting that the vision threw up
strategies with short, medium and long-term goals.
He said “for the ITF to meaningfully drive this vision, the need to have partners of like minds became
imperative. Locally, the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA), the umbrella body of the
Organized Private Sector (OPS), and internationally, the Skills for Prosperity (S4P) UK, became readily
available.
“The firming up of partnership with these bodies gave rise to the First Skills Summit in March, 2022
where a new vision anchored on National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System was unveiled”.
“Since then, a lot of work has been done to strengthen this partnership”, adding that “issues like
inauguration/sensitization of stakeholders, development of framework and validation have been
successfully concluded and it shall witness the fruition of this laudable process, which is aimed at adding
value to the Federal Government’s job and wealth creation efforts”, he added.
The Framework according to Sir Ari, when implemented has the potential to drastically reduce
unemployment, while also affording the youths the opportunity to earn income while learning, enhance
eligibility for financial assistance while on training, and also engage a sizeable number of youths since it
does not require formal education as a prerequisite.
He also noted that, a functional NATS will ensure a structured approach to skills acquisition and
certification leading to an increase in the number of MSMEs and the expansion of existing ones, a
reduction in unemployment, underemployment, social vices and crime rates, and improvement in the
quality of services of Technicians and Craftsmen.
“Above all, enriching the NATS with international certification for the various vocational trades will
promote balanced employment and competition amongst our youths, just as it will serve as a viable
source of foreign earnings for the country through the export of skills.
“Our optimism on the potential of NATS to change the employment situation in Nigeria is premised on
the fact that countries such as Germany, China, Austria, the USA and others that at various times faced
similar challenges as we are contending with today completely altered their situations with greater
investments in skills acquisition and apprenticeship training”.
He stressed that the ITF is ready and open to collaboration, partnership, consultation and other forms of
engagement with all stakeholders to institutionalise NATS for employment generation, job and wealth
creation in our dear country.
