The Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, has commenced training for 200 youths in construction-related trades.
The training is in collaboration with the Nigeria Youth Employment through Skills Acquisition Fund (NYESAF), an integral component of the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS Project).
The President of FOCI, Mr Vincent Barrah, said the initiative was aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical skills needed to contribute to the country’s infrastructural development.
Barrah congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to take the training seriously, explaining that participants comprised of 100 trainees in masonry, 50 in plumbing and 50 in carpentry.
‘FOCI Skills Academy was incorporated in 2019, with the goal of providing vocational training for the construction and general contracts to bridge both skills and gender gaps in the construction industry.
‘Through our Academy we have seen firsthand, the transformative power of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET),how a simple skill in masonry plumbing, carpentry, electrical work etc can lift a person ,a family, a community and the nation.
‘FOCI Skills Academy has become a household name in the skills acquisition training sector. The Academy has earned the respect and admiration of both national and international trainers.’
Barrah said the new NYESAF project went a step further by placing emphasis on women and youths to greatly impact in alleviating social imbalance because a truly modern industry could not be built while leaving half of the nation’s population underrepresented.
According to him, FOCI has more than 100 member companies and is involved in advocacy, collective bargaining, training, standard-setting, representation and publication of relevant industry journals.
National Project Coordinator, IDEAS Project Nigeria, Blessing Ehi-Ogwu, said the programme was designed to help reduce unemployment and other social vices by equipping young Nigerians with skills that could provide sustainable livelihoods.
Ehi-Ogwu disclosed that beneficiaries must maintain at least 65 per cent attendance to qualify for the final starter pack and monthly stipend.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, commended FOCI Skills Academy for its commitment to equipping young people with practical, industry-relevant skills.
Bugaje said the country’s economic future depended significantly on competent, innovative and employable young people capable of creating value, securing decent employment and contributing to national development.