By Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

The Director General of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari, has said one of the major impediments confronting the government is the absence of requisite skills among youths.

Ari spoke at the weekend during the 14th Biennial Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) National Conference with the theme: Implementation of SIWES in the new world order, Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders, in Abuja.

The ITF chief noted that even when the National Skills Gap Assessment in the six priority sectors of the economy had created an opening, the youth lacked the requisite skills to take up the jobs.

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He added that the skills survey was conducted by the ITF in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

According to him, the survey revealed that despite spiraling unemployment, 925 trades were either difficult or hard to fill in the country’s labour market.

This survey and others conducted by several organisations attributed the paradox to a mismatch between labour supply and the labour requirement of the job market.

Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Adeniyi Adebayo said the government remained committed to ensuring that the scheme achieved its objectives.

The minister said he was aware of the funding challenges confronting the scheme, even though it had improved since the inception of the Buhari administration.