Germany Commences Training For Young Nigerians

Project Coordinator of
Mr Stephen Awoyele, the German Dual Vocational partnership with Nigeria, on Tuesday said that about 217 Nigerians have so far been trained under the youth
employability project.
Awoyele also told  nwesmen in Lagos that the trainers, working in partnership with sponsoring companies, had trained 70 Nigerians for engagement with private sector companies.
The project coordinator said the project, which was approved for Nigeria by the German Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation in 2012, had been extended till December 2018.
Furthermore, he said “This initiative is a know-how transfer project, with the objective of increasing the qualifications and employability of young men and women, so far in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.
“This is a pilot project that is expected to showcase the dual vocational principle that has really worked and increased youths employability in Germany. “The German Government also wants to engage Nigerian youths in this dual vocational project. We have trained 217 trainers in Nigeria for the mainstreaming of this project into our partnering companies.
He added that, “These trainers have so been able to train about 70 young Nigerians as industrial mechanics, technicians, technical facility management and as project managers in office administration,” he said.
Awoyele said that a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) had been signed between the German Government and the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria -German Business Association, for the project’s implementation.
He said that the MOU was also signed with the Lagos State Chambers of Commerce and Industry, gun Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Awoyele said that after the pilot projects in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, the vocational programme would be extended to other parts of Nigeria, for the benefit of more young Nigerians.
The German official said the partnering private sector organizations were usually required to send the beneficiaries for a one-year training period with pay.
Awoyele, who said that the project was aimed at providing well-trained technicians for the private sector, added that many of the apprentices often ended up being employed by the companies.
He also said that the initiative was a way of increasing the sector’s productivity, reduce companies’ cost of recruitment and training, as well as increase their quality of products and services.