The Nation Newspaper

Tag: trainees

  • Andela trainees get fellowship

    A firm that identifies and develops Africa’s most talented software engineers to help firms with high-performing teams, Andela,  has graduated the first set of developers to have completed their four-year Fellowship.

    Now Andela alumni, the app developers are expected to join global and local companies, start their own ventures, or take senior developer roles at Andela to continue building the next generation of tech leaders at the company.

    Over 300 dignitaries attended the ceremony in Lagos , including families of the developers completing the Fellowship and Andela workers. Also in attendance were industry stakeholders, such as Osita Nwoye, Executive Director at Tech Circle; Etop Ikpe, Co-founder and CEO of Cars45; Bankole Oluwafemi, Founder and Editor-In-Chief at Tech Cabal; and Judith Okonkwo, CEO Imisi3D.

    Senior Partner at TLcom and Board member of Andela, Dr Omobola Johnson, who delivered the keynote address, said: “Andela has cemented its position as the company that invests in Africa’s most talented software engineers, and I am proud to be celebrating the Fellows’ commitment and successes after four years of hard work. The 18 developers who have completed their Fellowship should be really proud of themselves. I’m excited and eagerly looking forward to seeing them flourish in their tech careers. You are the proof of the Andela narrative that brilliance is evenly distributed.”

    During their years at Andela, developers have completed a rigorous technical leadership programme, acquiring management experience and technical expertise in software languages such as Ruby on Rails, Javascript, Python, Ruby, and React Native, among others. They’ve worked as full-time team members with global companies, such as Viacom, Github, InVision, and Wema Bank’s ALAT, via Andela’s distributed work model.

    Andela Co-Founder & Director of Launchpad, Nadayar Enegesi  said over the past four years, Andela developers have played a pivotal role in building technology communities across Africa. “We are excited to see our early cohorts start on the next stage of their journey.

    “We’ve created a programme, Launchpad, to help developers navigate their next steps and prepare them to be fully immersed as key players in the tech ecosystem. Our mission has always been to build a network of world class technology leaders on the African continent, and now that we’re launching our first set of Andela alumni, this is the crucial moment in the company’s history where we see our mission and values manifest across Africa. Life at Andela does not end after four years; we are a family; we are bound together on this journey to bring African engineering excellence to the global market. Once an Andelan, always an Andelan,” he said.

  • Abandoned trainees

    •It’s high time the NPA reviewed their case 

    The report that 536 young Nigerians were employed and trained, from 2003 to 2007, by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), after which they were allegedly left in limbo, is symptomatic of the common tardiness in many of our public institutions. According to media report, each of the 536 persons was given an admission/appointment letter, dated January 30, 2003,titled: “Offer of Admission/Appointment as a Technical Trainee in the Technical Training Centre”.

    The report also claimed that close to the completion of their training, an attempt was made to disengage them, but they were recalled to complete their training, following the intervention of the then Minister of Transport.

    The trainees claimed that since the completion of their training in 2007, they have not been deployed as contemplated by the admission/appointment letter. The letter signed on behalf of the then managing director, read:”I am pleased to inform you that as a result of your performance in the just-concluded examination/interview, you have been offered an admission as a technical trainee in the authority’s pensionable service on a commencing salary grade JSS 3 in the authority’s structure.” They also claimed that 10 of their members have since died, while two have committed suicide.

    The admission letter further provided: “You will be expected to spend a maximum of four years in the training centre. On successful completion, you will be deployed appropriately. Your first year of admission will be a period of probation and subject to termination by either side on one month notice or salary in lieu. Upon successful completion of the probation period, your admission/appointment may be confirmed.”

    While the training has been completed, the trainees have not been deployed or formally disengaged, prompting a court action at the Federal High Court, before Justice Okon Abang.

    It is also reported that Justice Abang,on May 22, 2013, in his judgment declared that the trainees cannot be disengaged except in accordance with the terms of their engagement. He held their sack as unlawful, ordering their re-engagement and payment of the arrears of their salary and other entitlements due to them. The trainees also took their case before the House of Representatives, which reportedly relied on the judgment of the court to ask that the trainees be paid arrears or reabsorbed, by a letter, dated 17 May 2016. An in-house committee of NPA reportedly recommended that the trainees be paid compensation in lieu of their entitlement, as the arrears have become humongous.

    The exigency of the economic times may make hiring the trainees difficult, and that is where we call for dialogue and mutual understanding. For us, it is fairer for the new management headed by Hadiza Bala Usman, to look at the case again, and come up with a pragmatic approach to bring the dispute to a close. Without prejudice to the litigious rights of the NPA, we urge Hadiza to appreciate that it is a public concern, owned by all Nigerians. She is capable of doing it and it will lay many years of unease to an end.

     

  • A lifeline for NDE trainees

    A lifeline for NDE trainees

    Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige, in his home Anambra State, gave out start-up packs to 250 persons trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). NWANOSIKE ONU reports

    It was a fitting homecoming for Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige. At the St. Matthew’s Catholic Church Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, he was in good company as he gave out start-up tools to over 250 trainees of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    It was as much a good day for the trainees as it was for the President Muhammadu Buhari administration whose job creation effort seemed to be taking off. It was just as well that it was all happening in Ngige’s home state.

    The venue brimmed with traditional rulers and the clergy as well as other dignitaries.

    It was the resettlement of over 250 persons by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under the ministry of Labour and Employment manned by Ngige.

    The state governor Chief Willie Obiano sent his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke to represent him. The traditional ruler of Awka kingdom, Obi Gibson Nwosu and his colleagues from Ukpo in Dunukofia council, Igwe Dr. Robert Eze and Igwe Elias Nneli of Umueje in Ayamelum council attended the event.

    Ngige presented jobs tools to 30 of the trainee graduates, while over 220 others who had started practicing their skills were given financial lifelines by the federal government.

    The federal government has spent over N137m in empowering the people under the Artisans Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme (ARMS).

    Igwe Nneli advocated for a monitoring committee to be supervising and monitoring beneficiaries’ progress, as according to him, some of them sell off their equipment and squander the money.

    The monarch of Awka, Obi Gibson Nwosu, while commending Ngige for bringing such a thing to Anambra, advised the youths who are seeking admission for medicine and law to think twice as whatever you studied must be appreciated in one way or the other.

    Addressing the beneficiaries and the guests, Governor Obiano said through his deputy Dr. Okeke that the state government has similar schemes through access loans for different businesses, adding that it would increase their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    He assured that the state government would always partner the federal government in such programmes, adding that the state has arable land which necessitated its focus on agriculture.

    He regretted, however, that the greatest challenge to governments at all levels is what to do with the teeming unemployed youths in the society and taking them away  from criminal activities.

    He added that the introduction of such programmes was the answer to joblessness.

    Ngige, while addressing the people said everybody should rally round President Muhammadu Buhari to right the wrongs of the past administrations.

    “This is a government that came into power in a trying moment, there were no savings from the past regime, we feel for the people, things have gone so bad and we want to use this opportunity to correct the sins of the past,” he said.

    ”Let me reassure all present here today that the plans of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to change the face of the entire nation for good is fully on course”

    “Those of us charged with the task of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed in Nigeria have long put on our thinking caps and today’s event is just one of the products of our efforts”

    “In the next two months, the second phase of this exercise would have been carried out and I want to assure you that over 2,800 new businesses would have    been    generated    across   the   country, through   the Resettlement   Scheme   of the   NDE”

    “The scheme   seeks to empower already trained persons in any vocational skill with relevant starter packs to commence a small scale business”

    “The Directorate in the last one month has recruited and placed in training, another 1,850 persons nationwide under the Community-Based Training Scheme (CBTS)”

    ”Ladies and gentlemen, in another two months this number of persons shall be resettled to commence small scale businesses in the rural communities across Nigeria”

    “Similarly, Three Hundred and Seventy (370) newly trained agricultural entrepreneurs under the NDE Commercial Farmers Training Project (CFTP) have received soft loans amounting to N137m Thirty Seven Million Naira to start agro-businesses in each j state of the Federation and the FCT”

    “Ladies and gentlemen I am happy to inform you that this scheme complements the proposed Federal Government programme’ called “Teach Nigeria’’ which will soon take off”

    “In the face of all these laudable efforts and programmes, it is pertinent that all well meaning Nigerians should rally round the Federal Government in its quest to turn around the fortunes of our great nation”

    “I will not end this address without placing on record my gratitude to the Government and good people of Anambra State for the conducive operational environment and support they have provided the NDE to function within” Ngige said.

    The acting Director General, (NDE), Mr. Kunle Obayan, said the initiative was under a fresh scheme called the Artisans Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme (ARMS).

    “The desire of the (NDE) over the years has always been to empower all beneficiaries of our skills training programmes and what is happening here today is that change we desired for,” Obayan said.

     

  • Skye Bank employs 62 trainees

    Skye Bank Plc has employed 62 fresh graduates who also completed an intensive seven-week basic banking training programme at the Skye Business School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    In a statement, the lender said the new intake acquired basic banking training programme, adding that they have diverse academic backgrounds and impressive academic records.

    Addressing the new Skye Bankers at the graduating of streams 39 and 40 of the ‘Skye Graduate Intensive Training (SGIT), Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, urged the new employees to uphold integrity and professionalism in their various assignments.

    The bank chief said the lender placed a high premium on staff training and manpower development as a way of  building a knowledgeable and competent work force in order to see the employees excel in their assigned tasks.

    “We have given you a good foundation; you must continue to build on this foundation to be knowledgeable and to excel in your careers,”he said.

    The Skye Bank boss urged them to continue to seek new knowledge to become knowledge- based employees, noting that continuous learning would bring about improvement on their jobs.

    He also charged them to embrace team spirit, hard work and integrity to succeed in their careers.

     

  • ITF, NECA disburse N4m to trainees

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) have disbursed N4 million as grant to 38 graduates of its skills acquisition programme.

    NECA’s Director-General, Mr Segun Oshinowo, said the grant was disbursed to successful trainees who presented business plans for assessment.

    Represented by NECA’s Project Director, Mrs Helen Jemerigbe, Oshinowo charged the recipients to use the fund to boost their businesses.

    He advised governments to complement efforts of ITF and NECA in boosting the informal sector.

    “If grants are given to more purposeful people, the level of unemployment in the country will be minimised and many youths will be gainfully engaged,” she said.

    ITF’s Lagos Zonal Director, Alhaji Sule Indabawa, urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the funds.

    “There is nowhere in Nigeria where people are given two years training on skills acquisition free.

    “Only NECA and ITF can give additional training on entrepreneurship development and also give fund as grant to start business.’’