FG Launches National Framework On Apprenticeship To Boost Skill Acquisition

In the bid to tackle unemployment, the Industrial Training Fund has launched a national framework to promote apprenticeship.

The framework dubbed ‘the National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System’ will ensure a structured approach to skills acquisition, the ITF said on Monday.

Joseph Ari, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund, revealed during the launch that the programme will also award international certification.

Ari said the NATS 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.

“Afunctional National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System 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 National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System 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.”

The growing number of unemployed people in Africa’s largest economy has pushed the government to institutionalise apprenticeship as a means of creating more jobs.

The last data on Jobs released in 2020 shows 33.33 per cent of the population are unemployed.

The government through the new programme believes that more Small and Medium Enterprises will spring up to bridge the unemployment gap.

The ITF boss further said the programme targets the marketability of Nigerian enterprenures abroad.

“The ITF requires synergy and collaboration from all stakeholders involved in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Already, as earlier mentioned, we are in collaboration with the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) under the Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP) which has already trained over fifty-five thousand Nigerians.

“We are also in collaboration with several other organizations including Skills4Prosperity in our quest to institutionalise NATS in Nigeria. Indeed, S4P has been an invaluable partner in the development of this framework.

“But apart from the aforementioned, the ITF is in discussion with Rohde & Schwarz from Germany for higher education innovation and youth employability in Nigeria. The company has expressed its desire to use the Industrial Training Fund as a gateway to bringing innovation into Nigeria for the benefit of the youth.”