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Tag: ITF

  • NASS to support ITF on job creation

    NASS to support ITF on job creation

    • To train 1000 youths from each state

    The Chairman, House Committee on Industry, Hon. Abubakar Moriki has pledged the committee’s readiness to champion and support the Industrial Training Fund’s (ITF) mandate, which is job creation.

    He said the committee will support through the amendment of the ITF Act that is targeted at ensuring the achievement of the Fund’s mandate

    The lawmaker also promised to work with the ITF to resolve the lingering problem of appropriations for the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), particularly the capital component of the budget of the Scheme, which he lamented, was omitted in the 2016 budget. He said the Committee has advised that it should be included in the capital budget of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for the year 2017, promising to ensure that it is passed into law.

    He said: “As legislators, we enact laws; we also amend existing laws to ensure that they conform to contemporary realities.

    “As a Committee, we will champion the cause of any enactments or amendments or whatever, which you want the National Assembly to do in order to improve on your mandate as you have appealed to us.”

  • ITF, NAC to establish automotive training centres

    ITF, NAC to establish automotive training centres

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), has started discussion with National Automotive Council NAC to establish National Automotive Parts Manufacturing and Training Centres as part of its skills acquisition programme, the Acting Director-General, Dickson Onuoha, has said.

    Onuoha, who addressed the press yestrday in Abuja, said apart from conserving foreign exchange that is expended on the importation of auto parts, the centres will ensure that needed auto parts are produced in the country.

    He said youths will also be trained for employment in the automobile parts’ manufacturing sector of the economy, adding that the fund is also working on the expansion of facilities at existing skills centres in Ikeja, Kano and Abuja.

    “At the model skills training centre in Abuja, adequate  provision has been made in 2016 budget to acquire the remaining complement of equipment required to graduate all trainees at the centre and admit new ones.

    “The Fund is also fast-tracking plans to commence the long term skills training programme at Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC), Kano while arrangements are in top gear to commission the mechatronic and mechanical workshop that have been built in the centre.

  • DG hails ITF’s double international awards

    DG hails ITF’s double international awards

    The Industrial Training Fund, (ITF) has emerged the overall best in the International Federation of Training and Development Organisation, (IFTDO) competition for the IFTDO Global HRD Awards 2016.

    The position has put Nigeria on the global index of human resource development

    The ITFDO was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1972 to develop and maintain a worldwide network committed to the identification, development and transfer of knowledge, skills and technology to enhance personal growth, human performance, productivity and sustainable development.

    In a February 5 letter, the IFTDO said there were 33 submissions from nine countries for the three categories of the awards which are: Best HRD (Human Resource Development) Practice, Improving Quality of working life and Research Excellence CSTD Award.

    The Secretary General of IFTDO, Mr. Uddesh Kohli, in the statement, said The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) emerged tops in the Improving Quality of Working Life Award category, as well as the overall winner of the IFTDO Global HRD Awards 2016.

    He explained that of the 33 submissions from nine countries reviewed, thirteen were shortlisted by the judging panel for the IFTDO Global HRD Award.

    Kohli said: “ I am happy to inform you that your entry has got the winner award in the quality of working life, as well as overall winner”, adding that the awards will be presented in March at the opening ceremony of the 45thIFTDO World Conference in Bahrain and as the overall winner, ITF will be receiving a cash award, a trophy and a certificate.

    Director General/Chief Executive of ITF, Juliet Chukkas Onaeko, said the award and international recognition is a confirmation that in one and a half year, the ITF management team has been able to reposition ITF for true greatness and global best practices as summarised by the DG’s four point agenda which is also in line with Mr President’s change agenda.

    The ITF director general said the agency will remain focused on achieving the cardinal goals of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government which focuses on job creation/youth empowerment and industrialization, as such they have concluded plans to partner with the Job creation Unit of the presidency to rollout high impact, youth empowerment and job creation programmes which has been scheduled to commence on the 1stof March 2016.

    She explained that the ITF was set to record another first for the country, which is the hosting of the First National Skills Summit, which is set to change the skills ecosystem of the country as well as marking a new era of skills revolution in Nigeria.

    Nigeria is the second African country to win the IFTDO Global HRD Award since inception.

  • ITF prepares trainees for global employment

    ITF prepares trainees for global employment

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is preparing graduates of the Fund for the global job market, its Director-General, Mrs. Juliet Chukka-Onaeko, has said.

    She said the agency’s decision to send trainees home after the successful completion of their examinations was to allow for more students/trainees to be admitted and trained in technical/vocational skills.

    Mrs Chukka-Onaeko said trainees sponsored by ITF in collaboration with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and other organisations would soon get international certifications. She stressed that the ITF was already working on getting an international certification programme for its trainees to be able to work anywhere in the world.

    The ITF chief said the Fund was working with established players in various sectors such as agriculture, oil and gas, construction and automobile maintenance in order to train and empower more youths.

    She said: “ITF’s training programme has been helping players and operators in the various economic sectors and industries to raise new breeds of excellently skilled youths to work for them instead of relying on expatriates.

    “The ITF has been working on certifications for our trainees so that they can work anywhere in the world. We have, therefore, been training our students not only on skilled manpower, but alongside good work ethics, good customer care, and also entrepreneurial skills.”

  • Nigeria rules at ITF AJC qualifying tournament

    Out of the 10 gold medals at stake at the 2016 International Tennis Federation (ITF) Africa Junior Championship (AJC) qualifying tournament concluded in Abuja at the weekend, Team Nigeria clinched nine to concede one to Cameroun in the girls’ U-12 singles event.

    Being the best outing for Nigeria in the tournament, the gold rush at the Abuja National Stadium was kick-started in the Girls’ U-14 event when Oyinlomo Quadre defeated compatriot, Marylove Edwards 7-5, 6-4. Gabriel Friday, Adetunji Adetayo, Christopher Bulus and Suleiman Ibrahim added theirs to increase the gold medals tally. Nigeria also dominated the doubles event claiming gold in all the events.

    The final matches were watched by the Director General, National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut, who pledged the commission’s support to the team in their quest to do the nation proud at the main AJC in South Africa.

    The NSC boss said that the team would be camped for one month before the competition in South Africa in March in order for them to replicate the feat that saw them dominating the qualifying tournament.

    An elated national junior coach, Mohammed Ubale described the team’s dominance as a confirmation of the enormous talents in the country, while promising that the team would do well in South Africa.

    For the South Africa tournament, six players – Angel McCleod, Michael Osewa, Adetayo Adetunji, Christopher Itodo, Christopher Bulus, Gabriel Friday, Marylove Edwards and Oyinlomo Quadre have secured their places in the main AJC slated forMarch.

    Meanwhile, for claiming the gold in the girls’ U-12 with three silver medals, Cameroun finished second to qualify four players for the main tournament.

    Also, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo also secured four players for their players over the performance in Abuja. Over nine countries from West and Central Africa took part in the one-week tournament.

  • IDPs, others to benefit from ITF’s programmes

    IDPs, others to benefit from ITF’s programmes

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) said it has concluded plans with relevant agencies to train beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programmme, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) around the country and sustain their reintegration into the society.

    According to the ITF, training and skills acquisition programmes for both the IDPs and beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programmes will be tailored and structured to ensure that the beneficiaries speedily commence contributing towards national development.

    The Director-General/Chief Executive of the ITF, Dr. Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, said these when she visited the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen Paul Boroh in Abuja, during the week.

    She said the primary function of the ITF, having keyed into the job creation of President Muhammadu Buhari, was to build on indigenous capacity and provide world class certification for youths and artisans.

    She explained that the ITF recently commissioned mobile training units/trucks will take specialised training and skills acquisition to all parts of the country, particularly the north east. The ITF DG said the programme is also aimed at ensuring sustainable reintegration of the Amnesty beneficiaries and IDPs, while ensuring that government’s vision of eliminating unemployment was achieved swiftly.

    She pointed out that over 800 training centres of the ITF would be opened to the beneficiaries and IDPs for training in areas like oil and gas, telecommunications and agriculture, solid minerals, alongside other trade and skills acquisition areas.

    She noted that ITF would also partner with and collaborate with other agencies of government to carry out skills study in the North East, the Niger Delta region and other parts of the country that would encourage employment of local, rather than foreign employees in the oil and gas, solid minerals, agriculture and other sectors of the economy.

    She added that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see to the smooth execution of the training and skill acquisition programmes is already being worked out.

    On his part, Brig.-Gen. Boroh said the office sought partnership with the ITF in order to develop the skills of the amnesty beneficiaries by ensuring their sustainable reintegration. He said the focus of his office was to ensure the complete and sustainable reintegration of all beneficiaries, and ensure that they contribute towards job creation and poverty elimination.

    “The Presidential Amnesty Programme is anxious to work with organisations like the ITF and strategic partners, including international ones to achieve the objectives of the Amnesty Programme,’’ Boroh added.

  • ITF, Shelter Watch partner on job creation

    ITF, Shelter Watch partner on job creation

    The Director-General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr Juliet Chukka Onaeko has hinted of plans to partner the Shelter Watch Initiative (SWI) a non-profit, nongovernment organisation  on the area of job creation.

    The ITF boss gave this hint at a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the ITF and SWI in Lagos recently.

    Justifying the need for the partnership, she said ITF will be moving the nation from the usual classroom training to onsite retraining of both artisans and millions of unemployed youths.

    “The 70% practical and 30% theory training and retraining programme for the youths and artisans respectively, is designed to identify good artisans across the country who will be capable of empowering Nigerian youths.”

    The MoU, she stressed, will facilitate job creation by encouraging government parastatals, corporate organisations and individuals to use retrained artisans by both the ITF and SWI for their construction projects.

    “The joint venture is to establish job centers in all the states of the federation. With the retrained artisans, the duo targets training and engagement of 4,000 youths in each state of the federation.”

    ITF – a federal government agency with global recognition, was established not only to set training standards in all sectors of the economy but also to evaluate and certify vocational skills acquired by apprentices, craftsmen and technicians.

    In his remarks, Executive Director, SWI, Mr Segun Olutade stated that the organisation which was the first to retrain building artisans in Nigeria has over 2000 retrained artisans in its database.

    “With the MoU, the hitherto retraining of artisans in polytechnics by the NGO has been replaced with 70% onsite retraining and 30% theory.”

  • Experts praise ITF on jobs creation

    Experts praise ITF on jobs creation

    The Industrial Training Fund, (ITF) has been praised over its proactive measures taken to eliminating unemployment from the country.

    Some experts, who spoke with The Nation, said the innovations and initiatives that have been brought about by ITF leadership, under its Director- General, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, were diverse and impactful, particularly, given the short time the she has been in office.

    For instance, Managing Partner of Soreb Consulting International Mr. Kunle Rotimi said ITF, under Chukkas-Onaeko’s charge, has entered into an understanding with the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) to improve and expand opportunities for young artisans.

    Rotimi also said the agreement and understanding ITF reached with the Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria (CITIN) would lead to the training of builders. He noted that the ITF/Shelter Watch Initiative arrangement, which has been concluded, would ensure unemployment in the country is eliminated through value addition in the building and construction sector.

    According to him, the leadership of the ITF deserves accolades for initiating collaborations with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Association of Chambers of Commerce of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in less than a year in office.

    His words: “The present leadership of the ITF has already concluded the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)-backed skills gaps survey that will successfully raise and place Nigeria at par with other developed nations of the world.

    “The move will provide skills training for employment and job creation, and identify the challenges of mismatches between skills demands and supply, which the country is presently grappling with. It will help provide vocational and technical training for thousands of internally displaced persons in various parts of the country”.

    On his part, President of Global Peace Movement International, a United Kingdom-based leadership and development organisation, Dr Mike Uyi, said it was not surprising that the International Labour Organization (ILO) has recognised the quality leadership being provided the ITF by the present Director-General. This, he said, necessitated their visit to the Fund with a promise to work with and collaborate in areas of mutual interests.

    Uyi said the standardisation and certification of ITF’s trainees and graduates has been fast-tracked and improved under the present leadership, while the ITF has improved and expanded the partnership with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), leading to improved access and opportunities for the National Industrial Skills Development Programme, (NISDP).

    He added that it was noteworthy that the Fund has initiated the establishment of an e- learning platform to provide access to training and skills development in Nigeria. Already, the Fund is at an advanced stage of launching an online job portal to provide a robust interface between employers of labour and the unemployed youths.

  • ITF denies corruption allegations

    ITF denies corruption allegations

    • ‘They’re baseless, malicious’

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has denied allegations of high-handedness and corruption levelled against the management, saying they are unfounded, malicious and not in the interest of the economy.

    According to a statement, signed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Fund, Mrs. Ifeoma Ihezue, the allegations are calculated strategies by enemies of accountability to disrupt the giant strides being made by the Fund under the administration for their selfish gains.

    ITF Director-General, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, while calling on the Federal Government to address hooliganism in unionism, said labour unions should continue to tread the path of integrity for which past labour leaders were known.

    The peddlers of the malicious information, the statement said, had tried every means to drag the image of the ITF leadership in the mud without success, which is the reason they have again resorted to instigating a protest.

    “A situation where our labour unions allow themselves to be used by a few people, who want power by all means, to disrupt laudable policies that would eventually be in their long-term interest, and in the interest of the economy, is not acceptable. In ITF, it cannot be business as usual again, in the interest of efficient and effective skills development. This exactly is what a few people are trying to fight for reasons best known to them,” the statement added, noting, however, that welfare conditions have been at their best ever under the administration.

    The ITF, however, exdenied the allegations of the union, pointing out the fallacies in them, adding that the administration, has tried to take the activities of the Fund to an enviable height while striving hard to cut costs.

    “We wish to refute the allegation of corruption in its entirety. The present DG has been commended severally for her financial prudence and her objectivity in tackling issues. On several occasions, she had directed for the renegotiation of certain outrageous contracts that were awarded in the past, thereby achieving huge savings for the fund,” the statement said.

  • How OPS, others can tackle manpower challenge, by ITF

    How OPS, others can tackle manpower challenge, by ITF

    The Industrial Training Fund, (ITF) has said the Organised Private Sector (OPS) must partner with relevant stakeholders to address manpower and skills challenges.

    Speaking in Lagos during an interactive forum organised by the Ikeja Area Office of the Fund, its Director-General and Chief Executive, Dr. Juliet Chukkas Onaeko said ITF was repositioning itself in line with the Federal Governments’ policy direction.

    She said such interactive sessions would enable the agency to feel the pulse of stakeholders, such as the organised private sector, and address some of the issues they may have concerning the fund’s mandate.

    Onaeko said in order to provide training and entrepreneurial opportunities for youths,  ITF will continue to encourage its partners and contributors that fulfil their obligations to it.

    According to her, the Ikeja Area Interactive forum, like those of ot her area offices is organised yearly. They offer ITF platform to interface and interact with captains of industry and members of the OPS to acquaint them with emerging trends and issues in human resource development.