The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on Monday began a three-month specialised skills acquisition training for 50 vulnerable unemployed youths to reduce rural-urban migration and youth restiveness.
Inaugurating the training at the Sakaruyi Palace in Karu, Nasarawa State, the NDE Coordinator in FCT, Mrs Edna Ofordile, said the beneficiaries would be empowered to become self employed.
According to her, they will also undergo a business orientation session to equip them with the kind of managerial skills they would need to be able to set up businesses after the training.
“In a bid to make impact of the NDE felt at the grassroots, the VSD Department of the NDE FCT has recruited another set of 50 unemployed persons with view of exposing them to specialised skills in some selected competitive demand-driven emerging short-term but marketable skills set in catering, photography, shoe-making, interior decoration, and GSM repairs ’’
Ofordile stated that the programme is expected to help reduce the rate of unemployment as well as create small scale enterprises and cottage industries.
She noted that the programme would also reduce rural-urban migration and youth restiveness.
According to her, the event is a special one as it marks the beginning of a lifetime intervention in the existence of the beneficiaries who are unemployed because they lack basic skills.
She said that over time, NDE had positively transformed the lives of millions of unemployed persons through job creation activities.
She added that their strategies had become a model for other countries.
Ofordile said that the first community-based training scheme was carried out in Kuje Area Council, where 50 unemployed persons were trained and resettled with basic equipment and cash.
“It will interest you to know that the first Community-Based Training Scheme was carried out successfully last year in Kuje Area Council where 50 hitherto unemployed persons were trained in short duration skills acquisition courses.
“And re-settled with basic equipment and cash components totalling N50,000 only to each of the beneficiaries to commence their business.
“It is gratifying to note that the 50 beneficiaries are now small scale entrepreneurs employing at least one person on the average, thereby reducing the scourge of unemployment in the FCT Area Council.’’
She urged them to strive to make a living using the skills they had so far acquired in order to help themselves, their families and the nation at large.
One of the participants, Miss Nkechi Nmapo, commended NDE for nominating them and promised that they would work hard to justify the gesture.
“I am happy to be part the people picked for the training and I promise to dedicate my time and energy so that at the end, I can also give back to the society what I have learnt from here.’’
Another participant, Mr Silas Turaki commended the organisers for putting the programme together, while promising to give his best
He, however, urged other youths to take advantage of the programme to be trained.