ITF: Engaging youth through vocational training for skills

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), through its Model School Training Centre (MSTC), is engaging the youth with different vocational skills to help boost economic activities and access employment in the country. ADEOLA TUKURU reports
The MSTC is indirectly achieving one of its mandates that was set in establishing the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) under the leadership of Sir Joseph Ari, which is to promote, encourage and provide skills to indigenous youths/ Nigerians to be able to provide this skills for the industries.
Vocational eduction and training plays a critical role in equipping young people with the right skills to meet labour market needs, fuelling competitiveness while reducing young the unemployment.
Currently, over 124 trainees from within and outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have benefited from training in Mechatronics ,Culinary(hospitality and tourism),Electronic facility maintenance technology(which deals with building maintenance),Electronics and computer networking ,Information Communication Technology(ICT).
This a positive step by the ITF aimed at increasing the quality and effectiveness if apprenticeship.
The training manager of MSTC, Mrs Lami Dakwak, during a faculty tour in Abuja recently explained that MSTC idea was conceived after a visit to various nations across the world and in particular Singapore, and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
According to her, ITF felt a replica of it Nigeria and so engaged the ITE services of Singapore to setup the MSTC adding that the setup here is like the ITE in Singapore.
She said, the ITF has other centres spread across the country, but Model Skill Centre (MSTC) Abuja, is unique because it has some unique features of training .
She explained that these programmes at conception, were tailored towards the ITE systems that is, the certification was the certificates been provided by ITE called National Institute of Technical Education Certificate(NITEC) that was been given as the programme commenced in 2011.
“The aimed of setting up the MSTC is to bridge the gap. To provide the skill need of the industries as well as to bridge the gap between class room and the real work of place that is, the industries .
“As you are aware, most of our schools are theoretical ,that is why ITF setup the MSCT to provide practical approach; hands on. For us here our methodology of training, we refer to it as the 3H.( Hands on, Mind on, Hearts on). Meaning, the practical aspect, the thinking aspect and the passion.
“It has to go together and our approach is such that we give technical knowledge. That is 80% practical and 20% theory.
” For us at the MSTC, we have the passion. We are committed in giving this practical hands on knowledge to whoever comes into the centre here.
“Along the line from 2015, we refocused the MSTC particularly the area of its educational training and the aim was to see that anybody who passes through this training has opportunity to grow further and also be employable and be placed in the cadres of employment.
On if the program was certified, Lami explained that ITF secured approval from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the approval was given in 2016 to award the National Innovative Diploma Certificate(NIDC)which is the equivalent of the National Diploma in the polytechnics.
According to her, the MSTC now offers programmes that offer this diploma certificates and also another certificate that was approved it is the National Vocational Certificate(NVC).
“These certificate prepares graduates from secondary schools or drop outs to be able to come in this facility and do the NVC either the part one, part two or part 3 and this programme prepares them also for the Nation Innovative Diploma(NID)
“So, if they are able to finish the part 3,they will move into the NID which is a 2 year programme and all of that was aimed at domesticating the ITE programme of Singapore.
“So in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) ,the programme were domesticated to become national programmes to be in line with the standard required by education nationally so these programmes are now approved and accredited by NBTE.
The programmes,according to her, are in two phrases that is, the 2 year programme for diploma, and the National vocational programme which is for 6 months,1 year,2 years and 3 years depending on the Modula levels that each person wants to take.
“The good news that we have for the public is that for you to gain admission into the MSC for the diploma level you have to go through JAMB.
“For the would be candidates that have interest to come into the MSC for the NIDC all they have to do is to access the JAMB website and go through the portal . Once JAMB gives you the admission , we do the screening and you are accepted into the institution after passing the cut off provided
“The NVC is not through JAMB. This is a programme that you just walk directly to our centre and you select the programme you want to take and you go through it. It’s a programme that is not rigid.
“It takes care of people that are working in industries; it takes care of people that wants to be skilled and up skill (broaden their skill).
“One can come in here for just three months and do a modular programme and you have a skill and you are given a certificate of competence.
“The certificate that anybody that comes out from here can compete comfortably at the employment market, has a career and as well as go higher to the HND after the NID training” .
Lami also affirmed that “the only university that has close to what we have here is Afebabaloa University they don’t even have what we have .We have the best as of now in West Africa.
“Our facility technology is unique in the sense that if learner passes through the NID in facility management technology, he is equipped with 8 skills and each of these skills stands on its own.
“For instance one module is plumbing and pipe fitting it he/she takes that programme and completes that module comfortably you will be employed.
She also added that the centre has the facility system maintenance which deals with AV systems, microphone setup, CCTV setup, lighting system. You can be responsible to take care of a facility comfortably.
“We have the masonry which deals with the block making ,bricklaying ,building repairs. For such a person when there are cracks or maintenance work to be done, he does it comfortably.
On the challenges been faced by the Centre she said ” the challenge that we have is space. This environment is a bit restrictive. We have so many equipments but because we have a restricted space we will not be able to immediately expand the way we want to. “The ITF is not funded by government and Technical training generally is expensive . If you want to take up head on, you must be willing and committed to finance.
“The initial cost for technical education is very expensive but the long term benefit is high. So in terms of funds, ITF has that challenge to really go all out to purchase all that we need to equip the MSC and other centres that we have .
” We are trusting that government will come to our aid because the training contribution, that is the 1% that the industries give to ITF is to encourage them to train to provide skills for their workers at the end of that, ITF takes back 50% of that 1% and reimburses back to the industries.
“What the ITF actually has is 50% of the 1% which is used for both the running cost and equipping the centre, for training and what have you.
“We believe that government agencies and donor agencies that have the well with how and provisions to assist in providing some of this like TETfund,UTF, PTDF can come to our aid,” she added.

 

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