The Federal Ministry of Education’s World Bank-backed initiative advances skills development and entrepreneurship
The third cohort of the IDEAS-TVET programme in Plateau State has been flagged off, with 2,826 trainees enrolled for a six-month skills development and entrepreneurship training across the state.
The programme, supported by the World Bank and implemented through the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical, technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills for employment and self-reliance.
The flag-off ceremony, held Friday in Jos, brought together representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, IDEAS Project, Plateau State Government, Training Service Providers (TSPs) and beneficiaries.
The programme, currently in its fourth month of implementation, is being delivered by TSPs across the state, with beneficiaries receiving hands-on training in various technical and vocational fields.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation, Safiya Mohammed, urged the trainees to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Mohammed encouraged the beneficiaries to look beyond white-collar jobs and embrace entrepreneurship as a pathway to self-reliance and economic empowerment.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Iheanacho Prince, who represented the National Coordinator of IDEAS, Blessing Ogwu, said the programme would contribute to efforts to address unemployment through practical skills training.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would produce skilled entrepreneurs capable of contributing to economic growth and creating employment opportunities.
Also speaking, Jackse Mangtat, Director of Administration and Finance, who represented the Director-General of the Plateau State Microfinance Development Agency (PLASMIDA), Bomkam Wuyep, commended the initiative.
Mangtat said the programme was in line with the agency’s objectives, stressing that skills development was critical to tackling unemployment and promoting economic empowerment.
One of the beneficiaries, Jacob Ruth, who is undergoing training in welding and fabrication, expressed appreciation for the opportunity.
Ruth said the skills acquired would enable her to earn a livelihood and, in the future, create employment opportunities for others.
Earlier, the representative of the Training Service Providers, Olawuyi Oyewusi, commended the trainees for their commitment to the programme.
Oyewusi urged the beneficiaries to focus on mastering the skills provided, noting that practical knowledge, experience and entrepreneurial capacity would help them build sustainable livelihoods in the changing world of work.
