Enugu Mechanics Bemoan Dearth Of Apprentices

Mechanics in Enugu State have called on government at all levels to look into the dearth of apprentices in the various trade in the country.

The mechanics disclosed to newsmen in an interview that many of the youths were no longer interested in training to become mechanics.

A 58 year old mechanic, Mr Nathaniel Nze, said: “For over 10 years now, no apprentice has come to my workshop to train as a mechanic.”

He said that government could help reverse the trend by embarking on the construction of a mechanic village.

Nze said that the mechanic village would encourage engineering students to come for their practicals and in the period serve as apprentices to established mechanics.

“If a mechanic village is built, it will help other apprentices to also learn how to read and write,’ he said

He advised youths to come into the business because it was not only lucrative and profitable, it would also provide self-employment.

Another mechanic, 48-year-old Mr Onukwube Okafor, said that the mechanic profession had gone high-tech because most new cars were now computerised and needed new hands as trainees.

“I have spent 15 years on this job and have achieved a lot, like feeding my family as well as training my siblings in school,’’ he said.

He attributed the seeming lack of interest by the youth to learn to become mechanics to their preference to political opportunities that come with the “free money they offer”.

Okafor called on youths not to continue to neglect the job which had the capability of generating income for them on daily basis.

Fifty six year old Mr Sunday Ogbodo, a mechanic at the spare parts market Enugu, noted that youths now prefer riding Okada (commercial motorcycle) to being mechanics.

According to Ogbodo, many of the youth are no longer interested to be trained as mechanics because they look down on the job.

“People no longer come here to work as apprentices. The ones that bother to come do not complete their years.

“They do what they call sharp-sharp and abandon the business for other things,’’ he said.

Another mechanic, Mr Amechi Abel, urged the government to urgently address the situation to save the trade from extinction.

He said if nothing urgent was done, the trend would impact badly on the economy as foreign expertise may now be imported for simple mechanical jobs.

“If care is not taken, in the next few years, there will be no more mechanic in this country,’’ he said.

Abel regretted that youths these days prefer to live the fast life to working for their living.