Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin says it is targeting over 1000 youths for training in various skills before the end of the year as it flags off the second phase of its skills acquisition programme today, Monday, May 6, 2024.
Director-General of the Institute, Comrade Issa Aremu, disclosed this while declaring open a five-day training workshop in photography and cinematography, tie and dye and carpentry and wood work, which is the second phase of the skills acquisition organized by Institute within the past eight months.
Recall that the first phase of the programme where 25 participants were trained in Tailoring and Garment Making and empowered with sewing machines was held last October.
Addressing the guests and participants during the flag off of the workshop, Comrade Aremu said that the programme is aimed at promoting Federal Government’s 8th point agenda on job creation, adding that it will help in skilling up Nigerian youths and promote their employability beyond academic certificates.
The Director-General, who also disclosed that the beneficiaries of the programme are youths and women drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country and people living with disabilities, said that the Institute is diversifying from its mandate of providing workers education for industrial harmony to massive job creation through skills acquisition.
While noting that a functional political economy is needed for the success of such programme, he called on the government to support the Institute through creating an enabling environment for ease of skills acquisition and make provision for adequate funding to enhance its success.
In his goodwill message, the Special Guest of honour at the occasion and Chairman of Lubcon Group, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, congratulated the Institute’s Management for the wonderful initiative, describing it as “a major development that must be supported”.
The Lubcon Group Chairman, while calling for more government support as a means of reducing unemployment in the country, pledged to gift a token to the top participants in each of the three training areas at the end of the programme.
He further described the beneficiaries as lucky and charged them to take the opportunity very seriously.
Also speaking, the State Controller of Labour Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ilorin, Mr M. B. Orodiran, commended the efforts of the Institute’s Management in providing relevant vocational training for youth in the country and called for partnership with relevant agencies as a means of providing support to the beneficiaries.
Earlier, the acting Head of Entrepreneurship Development Department in the Institute, Mr Razaq A. Ajayi, said that the programmme is in line with Federal Government’s efforts to provide entrepreneurial education, a prerequisite to lifelong skills development for sustainable economic growth and development, adding that the aim is to stem the rising rate of unemployment among youths, support productive small businesses, create jobs and alleviate poverty.
While noting that the programme is geared towards the implementation of the redefined presidential and ministerial deliverables, Mr Ajayi reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to deliver on the present administration’s renewed hope agenda.
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