THE siting of an ICT based Technical and Vocational Skills Training
Centre by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) at Osieke in Ugwunagbo local council area of Abia State, has begun to attract the expected result to the area.
The state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu affirmed this during the
commissioning of the project.
Graced by the Labour and Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, the governor said his government would upgrade the community roads and other infrastructural facilities, adding that a monthly stipend of N20,000
would be paid each of the trainees.
He urged the youths to avail themselves of the offer, stressing that the skills that would be acquired are those already in very high demand in the country.
Dr. Ngige said since its inception in 1987, the NDE has trained 29,684 artisans/technicians, most of whom have been gainfully employed and are meaningfully contributing to the growth and development of the country.
He added that there are presently 74 functional NDE Skills Acquisition Centers (SAC) in the country, wherein 9,027 persons are currently undergoing different levels of training.
Aside the centre, there are three others in the state, that had trained over 12,625 persons since inception in 10 different vocational skills.
According to him the principal objectives of NDE is to depart from the traditional apprenticeship method. He called for the protection and full use of the centre, expressing optimism that if such facilities exist in every council area across the country, we would be more than half way out of the cycle of unemployment and poverty.
