The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has trained and empowered no fewer than 2,360 unemployed people in various vocations in Ebonyi, Mr Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, the Director-General said.
Nuhu-Fikpo made the assertion at the 2021 flagging-off orientation ceremony of the Trainees of Basic and Advanced National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS and A-NOAS) in Abakaliki on Friday.
The Director General, represented by NDE state Coordinator, Mr Marcel Igboanude, said that the 2, 360 beneficiaries were trained in various skills, including tailoring, plumbing, electrical installation and cell phone repairs.
He described the ceremony as a welcome development, adding that 260 people were currently undergoing training under B-NOAS programme of the NDE.
“78 trainees for A-NOAS, 40 trainees of Quick Fix Skills Scheme and the resettlement of 40 graduate trainees of various vocational skills development programme.
“The items for the resettlement of the graduate trainees are; sewing machine, massager, knitting kit, welding machine, beauty therapy materials, computers and plumbing tools.
“We are here today to take yet another significant step towards making real our mandate to create not only jobs, but decent jobs.
”I urge all the beneficiaries and those undergoing training to continually support the federal government policies against unemployment,” he added.
Nuhu-Fikpo said that others are: computer operation, shoe and leather work; welding and panel beating; hair dressing and auto teonics; computer repairs; decorative paint making; power generator maintenance; vulcanising; barbing; catering and confectionaries.
According to him, in 2021, the directorate recruited and trained over 200 unemployed youths in modern agricultural skills, 1,000 people in entrepreneurship skills, 1,000 in vocational skills and 160 in graduate attachment and environmental beautification scheme.
“Over 300 of graduate trainees have been resettled with soft loans and starter packs, especially in agriculture and vocational skills business enterprises.
“With the training and resettlement of about 400 job seekers in NDE job creation programme in the state, I want to assure you that the multiplier effect will have created over 1,000 jobs within 2021,” he said.
In his remarks, Dr Stephen Odo, the state Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Business Development, thanked NDE for the efforts at making jobs available for the youths.
“I want to assure you that Ebonyi State Government will continue to work with you towards job creation,” Odo added.
One of the participants, Mr Chinedu Ominyi, a welder, expressed happiness to have benefitted from the NDE programme and urged other unemployed people to embrace skills acquisition to be self-reliant. (NAN)
