As a deliberate step towards closing the unemployment gap in Nigeria, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has upgraded three of it’s training centers to accommodate innovation, entrepreneurship and employability of Nigerian citizens.
Director-General and Chief executive of ITF Sir Joseph Ari disclosed this in Jos yesterday at the unveiling of the three-year Strategic Skill development plans of the Fund.
He said: “ITF has concluded arrangements to upgrade three of it’s training centers to Center for Advanced Skills Training for Employment as a deliberate step towards closing the unemployment gap in the country.
“The manpower development plans for the next three years strategic policy direction is such that ITF will provide the enabling environment to foster creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and employability through its skills training centres.
“By this, the Centres for Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) will be embedded with production hubs, skills/e-Hubs, as well as creative and innovative hubs in its skills training centres and vocational wings.
“In this regard, the Fund will equip training Centres with state-of-the-art facilities, partner relevant stakeholders for placement of trainees, and identify the competitive advantage of the centres for production purposes. We will also introduce instructors’ training in three designated centres, advertise and deploy the centre’s facilities and equipment for commercial use, engage trainees in the design and development of products and establish creative and innovative clinics. In addition, it will develop entrepreneurs and rename all Industrial Skills Training Centres as ITF Skills Training Centres (ITF STCs).
“With this strategy, we will now have three Centres for Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) in Lagos, Kano and Jos, as well as well-equipped training centres and vocational wings; train 450 I structors annually; maximise investment and improve our revenue base.
“We believe that the new policy framework, if fully implemented, will place us in better stead to fully implement our mandate and drive the achievement of Federal Government’s goals with particular reference to unemployment, poverty and their associated consequences.”