National Board for Technical Education NBTE has called on state governments and other stakeholders to partner with the Board to engage youths in skills training development under the Nigeria Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Professor Idris Mohammed Bugaje stated this at a news briefing to commemorate this year’s World Youths Skills Day in Kaduna.
Professor Idris Bugaje said the board is celebrating the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
He noted that the Board would provide an opportunity for dialogue between young people, institutions and other development partners to enhance skills acquisition for youths in the county to be self reliant.
According to him, Nigeria has huge skills gaps in Railway Engineering, Gas and Pipeline development, Hydro Power production that are currently being undertaken, explaining that if young Nigerians are not train, it might end up engaging foreign labour for the job.
Professor Bugaje emphasized that skills acquisition remained the best solution to unemployment in the country.
The Executive Secretary, also encourage Federal Polytechnics to rollout skills training program for youths, stressing that, for the past fourty years, polytechnics concentrated on technical education with little attention in the area of skills.
The NBTE Boss appealed to state governors to upgrade technical colleges that areall over the country which were abandoned for over three decades.
He said the objective of the day was to assess the situation of people regarding skills and work during and after COVID – 19 Pandemic and highlight stories of youth innovation and resilience.
As part of activities to mark the day, some staff of NBTE had visited the Panteka skills Market in Kaduna and interacted with the youth about the situation of work during and after COVID – 19 Pandemic.
The United Nations General Assembly had in 2014 set aside July 15 of every year to commemorate the World Youth Skills Day.
Aminu Dalhatu