German government empowers Nigerian youths in vocational programme

The Federal Republic of Germany, in collaboration with the Nigerian partnering bodies, has in the last five years,
successfully trained and educated 494 Nigerians across the country in its ongoing German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria (G-DVTPW-N) programme.

According to the G-DVTPW project Coordinator, Engr. kehinde Stephen Awoyele,”first phase of the project ran successful from 2012-2015, and it is now in the second phase that will terminate in 2018.”

A statistical report made available by the Assistant Coordinator of the project, Segun Okejimi revealed that, 180 trainers were trained in Lagos, 72 in Abuja, and 69 in Abeokuta.

In the apprenticeship category, the report showed that 124 apprentices were trained in Lagos, while 31 and 18 apprentices were trained in Abuja and Abeokuta, respectively.

According to information from the office of the Project Coordinator, Engr.Awoyele,
Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or National Technical Certificate

(NTE)/ National Business Certificate (NBC) is the basic
entrance requirement
for the partnership programme focusing on Office
Administration, Industrial
Mechanics, Industrial Electronics and
Technical Facility Management professions.

Learning contents for Office Administration include: office organisation, project assistance, written and oral correspondence in the business routine, application of the MS office package, organization of meetings and events, time and self management.

For Industrial Mechanics: progresses planning and operational safety; mechanical engineering; treating different raw
materials including welding; manual and machine processing,
production of components with machines are treated.

In the Industrial Electronics, progress planning and operational safety, mechanical engineering, installation and dismounting of electrical fittings, Electrical fittings and circuits, implementing control and drive engineering and manual and machine processing are focused upon.

In the Technical Facility Management aspect: installation and maintenance of ventilation and air-conditioning systems, installation and dismounting of electric installations and repair work on industrial facilities are undertaken.

Awoyele highlighted 70% -75% In-company-hands-on (practical) training and 25%- 30% class theory as one of the dynamic features of the programme.

Giving an insight into the drive of the project, Awoyele informed that, “German Dual Vocational Training Partnership With Nigeria, is an initiative of Federal Republic of Germany and is geared towards raising the employability bar of Nigerian youths and reducing poverty in the country. It is financed by the
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and conducted by
sequagGmbH. It’s steered by the CCI Giessen-Friedberg as the German project partner.

“Partnering bodies include: Delegation of German Industry and Commerce (AHK), Nigeria; Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (LCCI), Nigerian German Business Association (NGBA) Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Abuja and Ogun States (ACCI and OGUNCIMA).”

Dr. Bernhard Schlagheck said that: “Dual Vocational Training System is the commonest form of vocational training in Germany; “Dual” in this context means a combination of practical, on-the-job training and theoretical education at a vocational school, ensuring a proper balance of theory and practice.”

Speaking in the same vein, during a graduation ceremony in Lagos for one of the batches of apprentices trained in Office Administration, German Consul General to Nigeria,
Mr. Ingo Herbert, tasked Nigerian government to give Dual Vocational Training (DVT), special attention by borrowing from Germany that brought its economy out of doldrums through
DVT.

According to him, as a result of the introduction of the training, Germany today has the lowest unemployment rate in
the world and not less than 95% of its youths are gainfully employed.

German Senior Dual Vocational Training expert, Ludwig Gruenter said the projects came with electronic timer to produce beeping sound of 800 hertz.

According to him, when such PCB device is well inbuilt or incorporated, it serves as efficient starting or stopping timer to industrial
machines.

OGUNCCIMA Deputy President and CEO, Fanol RDC Products
Ltd, Wasiu Babatunde Olaleye, emphasised effective contributions made to his organisation by Jelili Adeosun, one
of the apprentices trained in (I.E) at Industrial Skills
Training Center (ISTC), Lagos, adding that Adeosun having mastered the cores of the training would be of great value to new
set of apprentices to be trained in I.E in Abeokuta.

According to Okejimi, following expensive equipment to establish, most of the apprentices still work with the companies that made them available for the training, adding that they were in the meantime advised to form clusters.

He said, National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) is fully aware of the programme and significant progress has been made in recent months for the accreditation of the programme.

The second phase of the project will be rounded off this year, for its sustainability, he said, Permanent Working Group (PWG), comprising of top members and decision makers,
carefully selected from the public and private sectors have been constituted to “work on the sustainability measures beyond 2018, through private-public dialogue, PR strategy, design of framework conditions among others”.

Chairman, Board of Business Education, Services and Training, LCCI, Soboma Ajumogobia, said that, “Our Nigerian partners will rise to the unique challenge of shouldering the onerous responsibility for this important project and also for sustaining it in the years and decades ahead of 2018, as we collectively strive to build a critical mass of competitive, productive and highly skilled workers.”

By Davids Thomas