The Gombe State Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will train additional 264 women and youths in the state on skill acquisition.
The training, which commenced in 2013, is part of the initiative of the government and UNDP to empower the beneficiaries to be self reliant and employers of labour in the future.
The beneficiaries will be trained in Plumbing, Plasta of Paris (POP), Solar Power Installation, Tailoring and Fashion Design.
Addressing the trainees in Gombe, the Commissioner of Economic Planning, Alhaji Danladi Mohammed, said Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo had made skills acquisition and empowerment a priority of his administration.
“This informed the collaboration with the UNDP which facilitated the training of 930 women and youths and provision of start-up kits in the 2013/2015 programme,’’ he said.
In his remarks, Prof. Iliya Dongs, the Consultant, assured the beneficiaries that if they attend the training regularly and pay attention to their supervisors, their future is secured.
Dong, who is the lead Consultant of DOBAST Management Consultants Ltd, called on the 264 women and youths to use the opportunity to acquire necessary skills that would enable them self-reliant and employers of labour in future. He said that skill is important in the life of every human
being.
“The reason why many technicians earn more money than some university graduates is because the technicians acquire practical skills than theories; unlike graduates who were fed with theoretical experiences while in the universities.’’
Dongs said that acquisition of skill could take an individual to places he or she does not expect.
He stressed the need for youths in Gombe state and Nigeria in general to shun social vices that could mar their future by either getting western education or acquiring relevant skills.
The consultant attributed some of the causes of escalating crime rate in Nigeria and other developing countries to lack of job among graduates and other segments of the youths.
“The major causes of the unemployment among these vibrant youths is lack of skill to back up what they learnt from institutions of higher learning.
“When these graduates were in school, they did not border to learn at least one trade; today there are many unemployed graduates in the country.
“This is partly as a result of our system of education that is more of grammar and not much practical learning,’’ Dongs said.
