By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Norwegian Government have supported the vocational skills training of over 1000 youths in Borno State, North-East Nigeria.
UNICEF Chief Field Office, Borno State, Phuong Nguyen, stated this on Monday during the matriculation of 1000 vocational skills trainees, which was held at the Borno State Vocational Enterprise Institute Muna.
She said: “There is an urgent need to redefine and transform education and learning systems in Nigeria to ensure that all children and adolescents, are provided with both quality learning opportunities and entrepreneurship skills programs to enable them to become active members of society and to positively contribute to their country’s social and economic development. ”
” UNICEF in collaboration with the Norwegian government under the 2023-2027 FGN/UNICEF assisted Basic Education Programme, Support for Skills Development has been prioritized.
“Education is one of the key priorities of UNICEF Nigeria with the focus on ensuring that all girls and boys are in school and learning and acquire skills for the future.
A cross section of the matriculating beneficiaries who will be trained on vocational skills
Ms. Nguyen, who was represented by the Officer in Charge, Samuel Sesay, said the vision of the 2023-2027 FGN/UNICEF programme is to ensure every girl and boy including adolescents, learns and acquires skills for the future, especially the most vulnerable and children in emergencies.
She stressed that “while efforts are targeted at improving learning outcome through delivery of foundational literacy and numeracy skills, millions of adolescents are not developing the transferable, digital, and job-specific skills they need to break out of poverty.”
“UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria, recently developed a National Skills Development Framework that encompasses the full range of skills: foundational, transferable (“life skills”), digital and job-specific (including technical and vocational).
“The Framework defines the key core skills needed under each of the categories, the essential means for their realization (especially through flexible and multiple learning pathways), potential instruments for measurement, and strategies for mainstreaming and sustainability.
“Safe Inclusive Learning and Skills For all (SiLSA) Project: Within the UNICEF supported Basic Education programme, there is a project called Safe, Inclusive Learning and Skills for All (SILSA) funded by Norway from 2023-2025, being implemented in Borno and Zamfara states,” Nguyen said
The UNICEF Chief Field Officer, added that this project has intervention on skills development targeting 6,000 adolescents/out of school youths (Borno: 4,800 and Zamfara: 1,200).
“Skills development intervention in the programme focuses on supporting transferable and employability skills development youths/adolescents. The intervention facilitates and supports employability or “job-specific” skills development opportunities, through an expansion of support to technical and vocational education to improve the quality and relevance of job-specific skills. ”
“Job-specific skills, also known as technical and vocational skills, are associated with one or more occupations, such as carpentry, accounting or engineering and increase young people’s employability.
“These skills support the transition into the workforce targeting Local Government Areas of the state. From each of the LGAs, the overall target beneficiaries for a 3 years target where in Borno state, Dikwa, Bama, and Monguno where 4,800 and 1,600 totalling 6400
“The vocational skill training centres, Muna has 400 beneficiaries for tailoring and fashion design shoe and bag, barbing saloon hair dressing, tie and dye
“Vocational training centre Mafa has 150 beneficiaries for barbing and hair dressing Tailoring and fashion design Wielding and fabrication electrical installation leather work, Second Chance centre Ngaranam has 150 beneficiaries for saloon and cosmetology, knitting, catering, throw pillow making,. tailoring vocational Training centre Bama has 100 trainees for Carpentry and joinery, Tailoring barbing saloon, aluminum fabrication, building construction .
“Zainab Gimba second chance center Bama has 100 beneficiaries for catering craft practice, tailoring, saloon and cosmetology, throw pillows and decoration. Knitting and crocheting while GTC Bama centre has 100 beneficiaries for carpentry and joinery Mechanical engineering, electrical installation motor vehicle mechanic workshop , Agricultural equipment and implement mechanic work totalling 1,000,” Nguyen said.
The duration of the training is for 3 months while this year it is envisaged that 3,200 beneficiaries will be trained.
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