By ALEX ENEBELI

The Innoson Kiara Academy, Enugu and the Nigerian Automotive Technicians Association, (NATA), would partner to train youths 5,000 on vocational skills in the next two years.

The unemployed trainees would be drawn from the South-East region of the country.

The Chief Executive Officer, Innoson Kiara Academy and Consortium, Mr Endi Ezengwa, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Enugu on Friday.

“We signed Memorandum of Understanding with NATA to train 5,000 unemployed youths in the Southeast in the next two years,” he said.

He further said the academy had trained over 5,000 youths since its inception including 2,500 delivered in partnership with the German government.

He said that the idea was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy which promotes made in Nigeria products.

According to him, to achieve policy’s target, the country needs skilled people to produce those goods which, he said, would in turn boost the nation’s foreign exchange earnings and create employment.

“This is why our chairman, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, convened the stakeholders meeting to engage Nigerian youths on technical and vocational skills.

“This is because he has passion for things made in Nigeria,” Ezengwa said.

He explained that the academy was made up of trainers from different components of the company.

“We have a consortium and some of our members provide employment as well as psychosocial support services. We offer a holistic package on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

“Beyond automobile maintenance and manufacturing, body vehicle building, welding and fabrication, Chukwuma invited training service providers in other sector skills areas.

“Some of them are involved in engineering, agriculture and fashion from five south-eastern states,” he said.

He said that Chukwuma promised to employ as many people as possible in the factory and encouraged NATA members to absorb some apprentices.

He regretted that employment gap in Nigeria’s welding sub-sector was 300,000, saying that well trained welders could earn up to $5,000 a month in some countries.

“We have heard about Nigerians hiring people from Ghana Togo and others to do some of works like building projects because our youths lack skills.

“So it’s important that people start taking this matter serious as technical and vocational education is the way to go and governments should support TVET,” he advised. (NAN)