•Wins award
THE Director-General, Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, has said the organisation spends about N10 billion yearly to train youths on vocational skills.
She made this known during a lecture in Lagos State, with the theme, Sustaining the industrial growth through job creation: ITF role.
Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko said such training require huge capital, adding that the Act establishing the Fund, stipulates that employers should contribute part of the funds while Federal Government gives subventions to ITF.
She noted that the training is in line with its policy trust to promote and encourage acquisition of skills in industry and commerce while generating a pool of indigenous trained manpower, sufficient enough to meet the economic needs of the country.
According to the ITF boss, about 70 percent of the ITF budget goes into training, adding that such training are capital intensive; hence the Fund needs financial supports from the public and private sectors of the nation’s economy.
‘’We are thinking of establishing vocational training centres in all the geographical zones of the country. We are trying and one day, we will get there. Funding is holding us back. Training of manpower is our major trust. We need to build capacity for our nation. Every year, we spend about N10 billion in various training programmes in and outside the country’’, she stated.
Meanwhile, ITF has won an award for excellence in service by the Business Education Examination Council (BEEC) in Lagos.
Its President Mazi Mike Okereke said though ITF has over the years had many helmsmen, under its Director-General, DrChukkas-Onaeko, the body has grown. He said ITF has contributed to nation building through its reliable service delivery in skills acquisition, noting that over 12million Nigerians have benefited from her.
He said: “No organisation can prosper or be effective without skills by its workers or members. A factory on its own does not operate except by people. The type of government you have depends on those who push it. And this is what ITF is doing over the years in ensuring that skills required to move every sector are provided.’’
He noted that the ITF was chosen for the award because of its excellent performance under Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko.
Presenting the award to Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko, a Senior Management Consultant, the Management School, London, Dr David Demetrius, commended ITF for the award, urging them not to rest on their oars.
Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko dedicated the award to the management and staff of the organisation.
She said at the 43-year-old body, their core value is teamwork. “I believe in collaboration. Excellence is our watchword. We can’t do it alone. We are open to BEEC and others for partnership,’’ he added.
