By Gbenga Akingbule
On Saturday, 60 youths from across the Northeastern States have been confirmed by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) as eligible participants for eight weeks of skill training as Electrical Technicians (linesmen) in Kainji, Niger State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the first set of participants which consists of 50 young men departed Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital on Saturday while another set of 10 female participants will join their colleagues in a week time.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEDC Mohammed Alkali disclosed at a brief ceremony to send forth the participants at the Commission’s Headquarters in Maiduguri.
The skill training which runs in collaboration with Mainstream Academy, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Solution according to the MD NEDC is aimed at exposing the participants to the high-Power Electrical Installation / Maintenance at the Academy in Kainji, Niger State.
“At the end of training, successful Participants who are successful in acquiring the skills and knowledge to become professional linesmen will be retained as employees of Yola Electric Distribution Company (YEDC)
“The Unbundling of the Power Sector by the Federal Government and subsequent retrenchment of aged Personnel of the defunct NEPA created a vacuum on Manpower needs especially the skilled labor not only in the YEDC but in the entire Power Distribution Companies (Discos) throughout the Country.
“The Commission intended to leverage on this and Partner with the Mainstream Academy to enhance the skills of the Unemployed youth with prerequisite qualifications and fill the existing vacancies in zone,” the MD said
The NEDC boss revealed that the Commission has been synergizing with the relevant stakeholders in Public and Private Sectors to enhance the Technical skills of the unemployed Youths in the North-East for employment generation and income enhancement to be self-reliance, prepare them to compete with youths of other regions to occupy their rightful positions.
He therefore urged the youths to make the best use of the opportunity given to them and be good ambassadors of their various States.
The Executive Director of Mainstream Academy Usman Muhammad Umar who also addressed participants at the occasion commended the NEDC for its numerous intervention programmes and projects aimed at developing the North East Region.
Umar said that The training program was publicized to the public through the Commission’s state offices within the zone and interested Participants applied for the course.
“Thereafter, a consultant was engaged by the Commission specifically to conduct aptitude tests for participants with a view to select the best candidates for the jobs and to create a Data bank of the Electrical Technicians for subsequent training when the need arises,” Umar said.
The ED of Mainstream Academy revealed that participants will be subjected to two weeks of classwork and six weeks of practical training, pointing out that “the Academy will be responsible for airlifting participants to and fro Maiduguri Airport to Academy’s premises at Kainji. Also, they provide logistics such as feeding / accommodation, training kits, etc.”
