Jos – The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) says it has trained 14 million Nigerians in the pursuit of its mandate to provide, promote and encourage the acquisition of skills to revamp the economy.
Mr Dickson Onuoha, the Acting Director General of ITF, stated this on Tuesday in Jos when the House Committee on Industry visited the organisation on an oversight visit.
Onuoha said the organisation had introduced the graduate re-skilling programme aimed at training 500 graduates of engineering and technology with vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
“The Industrial Trust Fund, in its Graduate Re-skilling Programme, will train 500 graduates of Technology and Engineering with vocational and entrepreneurial skills from each of the six geo-political zones.
‘’ We are reviewing the ITF/DVT, that is, German Chamber of Crafts and Commerce Dual, to train apprentices in line with German Dual System, equipping and retooling of existing skills training centres and procurement of Mobile Training Units,’’ he said.
He said the Mobile Training Units were for persons who could not access training at the formal skill centres, especially Internally Displaced Persons , to ensure their reintegration to society.
Onuoha pleaded with the committee members to help address the under appropriation of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) which has led to the non- payment of some participating students and supervisors.
In his remarks, Alhaji Abubakar Moriki, the Chairman, House Committee on Industry, commended ITF for training Nigerians inspite of the financial challenges facing the nation.
He said the purpose of the visit was to affirm that the organisation was discharging its services according to its mandate.
Moriki commended Onuoha over the smooth relationship with the participating companies and industries, saying there was no reported case of ITF’s refusal to remit employers’ fund.
The chairman promised to help in any amendment of the law that would create an enabling environment to make ITF discharge its duties efficiently and effectively.
‘’ ITF will submit the challenges they are having, especially the SIWES.
‘’ Subsequently in 2017 budget under preparation any time from now, we would advise ITF to propose an appropriation for this SIWES programme.
‘’Please suggest what you want to draw from the national capital budget.
”I assure you that when it comes, we would make sure we appropriate it and it scales through to the senate.
“ You will receive all the necessary legislative backing from us,‘’ he said. (NAN)
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