510 firms get ITFs N6 billion reimbursement

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) paid over N6 billion as reimbursement to 510 firms in 2018, its Director-General (DG), Sir Joseph Ari.A breakdown of this payment include full payment for training of workforce across all cadres, acceptance of students on (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) SIWES.Speaking with The Nation, Sir Joseph, said the payment was the biggest in one year since ITF was established in 1971, adding that it is a demonstration of its commitment to reimburse its contributors.Ari said ITF has, within the last two years, trained and equipped over 450,000 youths on various skills acquisition programmes, through the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).He said the commitment of ITF to skills acquisition was based on the fact that the Fund is the most sustainable solution to combating unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness.Read Also:SOAN: Actualising mariners dream of seatime trainingThe situation is especially worrisome, as, even in the face of vacancies in several sectors of the National economyas revealed by surveys conducted by ITF and other organisationsyouths roam the streets without any form of gainful employment, giving rise to crimes and other social vices that have beset our dear nation.It is a narrative that we are determined to change by supporting the Federal Government and the states by initiating consequential skills acquisition programmes, he said.He said the trainees of the phase last year, was completed before the 2019 general elections, trained over 11,000 Nigerians in various trade areas, including welding and fibrillation, plumbing and pipe-fitting, tailoring, aluminum fibrillation and insulation, tiling, Plaster of Paris (POP) as well as photography.The DG said further surveys revealed that in all cases, where the trainees were provided with the kits, over 90 percent earned resealable livelihood as entrepreneurs, saying training them without equipment defeats the core objectives of the programme and the policy of the administration to create wealth and grow the economy.
Click here to read full news..