WITH the sole aim of raising employability level of Nigerian youths and reducing poverty in the country, the Federal Republic of Germany, in partnership with some Nigerian organisations, has trained and graduated eight Nigerian youths in Technical Facility Management under its German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with the country.

The project is about three month rigorous class training with all tools, local and foreign experts and nine month field experience in different nominated companies.

The first aspect of the training project, which was kicked off in 2012, was in Industrial Mechanics and Industrial Electronics training for 23 apprentices, while the second aspect was in Office Administration in which 11 apprentices graduated.

The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and conducted by sequa gGmbH, as well as partnered by National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

Speaking during the graduation ceremony which marks the climax of the first phase of the training project, German Consul General Designate to Nigeria, Ingo Herbert, remarked that the training was of great significance and an important contribution to the socio-economic development of young qualified people in Nigeria.

“It is designed to meet the company’s needs and I am convinced that there is a huge demand for qualified, trained apprentices in whole Nigeria”, he added.

Ingo, who was represented by the Commercial, Culture and Political Attache of the Consulate General, Rene Marco Siebenhaar , while expressing optimism in the continuity of the project, said that “may be one day, we will look back and see how projects like this established a second education system in Nigeria next to its universities.”

Speaking on the timeliness of the project, the Director General, Industrial Skills Training Funds (ITF), Juliet O.E. Chukas Onaeko, who was represented by the Deputy Director and Training Manager of the fund, Gideon  Yusufu Dakahap, expressed that, “the introduction of the German DVT in the country and choice of ITF as an institution to collaborate with, was a welcome idea and of advantage not only to ITF alone but the country at large.”