National Board for Technical Education has mandated all polytechnics to engage in skills training in partnership with formal and Informal setting in their respective environments.
The Excutive Secretary of the Board, Professor, Idris M. Bugaje stated while briefing news men in kaduna on the Resolution of the 7th Industry Stakeholders Consultation on Skills Development.
Professor Idris M Bugaje revealed that, the NBTE had told all polytechnics that, from 2023 there shall be no accreditation of any technical programme unless polytechnics is running at least one skills training programme.
According to him, the polytechnics can pick one out of many skills trade such as Carpentry, Construction skills, POP, Iron bending, Borehole digging, Cars repair among others by establishing a centre to implement it.
He noted that, NBTE is making effort to change the orientation of polytechnics on the need to embrace skills training and development which he said they all have the needed infrastructure as training center.
Professors Bugaje said Technical Colleges at the state levels need special interventions to upgrade facilities to enable them roll out National Skills Qualification NSQ training to meet the immediate skills gaps facing Nigeria.
He stated that, the stakeholders meeting proposed an Excutive Bill on Nigeria Skills Qualification Frame Work NSQF to the National Assembly.
“Resolutions of the 7th Industry Stakeholders Consultation on Skills Development be communicated to the National Council on Skills for Implementation”
According to him other part of the resolution of the stakeholders consultation meeting recommended the establishment of National Skills Fund to avoid over taxation of Industries.
Professor Idris M. Bugaje maintained that, Industrial Training fund is recommended to be transformed to National Skills Fund NSF on a new paradigm of funding skills development but not to be a trainer and awarding body.
It also emphasized the need to harmonize and streamline the activities of some skills Development programmes and agencies.
“The need to develop a “Marshal Plan on Skills Development with the rolling out of relevant National Occupational Standards NOSs and Training of Assessors and Verifiers”
The 7th Industry Stakeholders Consultation on Skills Development which was held on the 2nd December, 2021 in Abuja, was attended by over 130 Industry Players, Development partners , Sector Skills Council, Awarding Bodies, Training Providers, MDAs, organised private sector and the media practitioners.
COV/AMINU DALHATU