Worried the proliferation of skill professionals in various vocations without certification across Akwa Ibom State, the federal government has stressed the need for low level craftsmen and artisans to back their skills with Trade test certifications in order to add more value to their skills.
While attributing poor response to Trade test certificates in Akwa Ibom state to lack of awareness and enlightenment across technical colleges, as well as amongst local artisans by the state ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, explained that acquisition of such skills and backing them up with the Trade test certificates, would enable them to function optimally and becoming employers of labour.
In an interview in Uyo, the state capital on Monday, the chief skills development and certification officer (CSDCO) at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Engr. Uko Frank, said “many youths in Akwa Ibom state, who are clamouring for employment do not possess the required trade test certificates to authenticate their skills.”
He recalled that other sections of the country, especially in Northern Nigeria, had since embrace the policy, recalling that he had issued trade test certificates to millions of artisans in the Northern and other parts of Nigeria, but regretted that the state education ministry has ignored the document, noting “the certificate adds value to skills acquired by artisans.”
He said, “I have moved around Nigeria and discovered that some people have benefitted more than the people here. We have been issuing Trade test certificates to several artisans. Anything you don’t know, is just because you don’t have the awareness.
“This is the only opportunity I have to issue this certificates to the people who are artisans in Akwa Ibom, but I discovered that the people don’t even know the importance of Trade test certificates.
“They are supposed to scramble for the certificate because we have the oil, and other businesses across all the parastatals and other things happening here in this state. I observed that many people are trained in different skills, and after graduation, the person is issued testimonial instead of approaching the Federal Ministry of Labour to obtain the Trade test certificates; we should change this orientation.”
Frank recalled that trade test certificate started in 1946 shortly after World War 11, and have been used to certify qualified artisans in various trades.
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