The Federal Government has said it is on course to train more than 70,000 Nigerian youths in market-relevant vocational and technical skills under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative.

The National Project Coordinator of the IDEAS Project, Mrs. Blessing Ogwu, disclosed this during the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop for key staff of the IDEAS-TVET initiative and Training Service Providers (TSPs) from Northern Nigeria, on Monday in Abuja.

The IDEAS – TVET project, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education supported by the World Bank, is designed to tackle youth unemployment by strengthening technical and vocational education and skills acquisition across Nigeria.

Ogwu said the project had recorded remarkable growth since its pilot phase, which engaged 11 Training Service Providers and graduated 1,050 trainees.

“We started gradually with a pilot involving just 11 Training Service Providers that graduated 1,050 trainees. Today, we are in Cohort Three and expect to have trained over 70,000 beneficiaries,” she said.

She explained that following the pilot, the programme expanded significantly, with 90 TSPs producing more than 14,000 graduates in one phase, while another cohort involving 217 TSPs graduated over 22,000 trainees.

According to her, the ongoing Cohort Three has engaged more than 400 TSPs and is expected to produce over 40,000 graduates.

“For this current batch, we have over 400 Training Service Providers, and we are expecting more than 40,000 trainees to graduate,” she added.

Ogwu said the Federal Government had put in place a robust monitoring framework to ensure quality training across all participating centres.

“Quality is a priority for us. Beyond our internal monitoring, we have independent Project Monitoring Officers in every state to ensure that training is not only taking place but is being delivered to the required standard,” she said.

She added that officials of the IDEAS Project Office, the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank also carry out regular and unannounced monitoring visits to training centres.

The National Project Coordinator explained that Training Service Providers undergo a rigorous selection process involving the submission of expressions of interest, evaluation of proposals and physical verification of facilities before they are engaged.

“A good proposal alone is not enough. We carry out due diligence and physically verify that training providers have the facilities required to deliver quality training before they are engaged,” she said.

Ogwu further disclosed that one of the conditions for TSPs to receive their final tranche of payment is that between 30 and 40 per cent of their trainees must either secure employment or become self-employed.

“Employment does not necessarily mean a government job. We want beneficiaries to acquire skills that enable them to become self-reliant, which is why we are also providing start-up packs for all trainees to encourage those who choose self-employment,” she said.

Highlighting the impact of the initiative, she noted that many beneficiaries of the pilot phase were already gainfully employed or running successful businesses.

She cited the example of a training centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where about 100 trainees received instruction in pipeline welding and fabrication, with an oil company retaining 24 of them after their industrial attachment.

“The impact is already evident. Many of our beneficiaries are employed, while others have established successful businesses. Our goal is to equip Nigerian youths with practical skills that will enable them to create opportunities for themselves and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director of Binley and Bramble Limited and Founder of the School Hunters Initiative, Dr. Olushola Okpodu, described the IDEAS-TVET initiative as a timely intervention in addressing youth unemployment.

She commended the Federal Government and the World Bank for the programme, describing her organisation’s selection as one of the Training Service Providers for Cohort Three as a privilege.

“This is a fantastic initiative considering the fact that millions of Nigerian youths are unemployed. We are grateful and privileged to have been selected as one of the Training Service Providers for Cohort Three,” she said.

Okpodu noted that although it was her organisation’s first participation in the programme, feedback from previous implementing partners indicated that the current phase was better organised and more effectively coordinated.

“From what I have heard from other implementing partners, Cohort Three is more organised and more structured, and I believe it will deliver even greater impact,” she said.

She observed that the programme had generated considerable interest among young Nigerians, many of whom were beginning to view vocational and technical skills as viable alternatives to white-collar employment.

“Many young people have tried their best to secure white-collar jobs without success. This programme is encouraging them to look inwards and embrace blue-collar opportunities where they can build sustainable careers and businesses,” she said.

Okpodu urged beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunity and embrace vocational careers, stressing that technical skills can be financially rewarding.

A certified artisan in leatherworks and fashion design despite holding a PhD in Communications, she encouraged young Nigerians to change their perception of vocational professions.

“Every youth selected for this programme should take it seriously. White-collar jobs are not always available, and they do not always pay as much. As an artisan, I can assure you that you can become a multimillionaire in less than a year if you are skilled, committed and entrepreneurial,” she said. (The Nation)