The Federal Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has disclosed that 247 youths have benefited from its N-Skills starter-packs in the North East.
The benefitting states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe whose youths were exposed to various trade skills for six weeks.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the participants held at the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi center yesterday, the deputy-director, research, planning and statistics in the ministry, Mr. Ali Garba, said the programme trained 190 youths on aluminum assembly and fabrication and 57 on vulcanisation.
He explained that the N-Skills programme was designed to train, tool and transit beneficiaries into the labour market to optimise employment opportunities, in addition to the in-center and six-month apprenticeship, as well as starter packs to enable them start businesses on chosen trades.
He told the beneficiaries; “Having completed this training, you will be attached directly to Master Craft Persons (MCPs) in the trade for a 6-month apprenticeship. The MCPs are masters of smart phone repairs who are also trained and certified by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)”.
According to him, the attachment would enable them to have work-based learning experience, with their performance to be assessed and examined by the NBTE and NABTEB leading to the issuance of NBTE certificates to those that meet the minimum requirements.
While urging them to work hard to meet the requirements, the director revealed that his ministry would pay each of them a monthly stipend of N10,000 for six-months.
