By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
The Industrial Training Fund has operated consistently and painstakingly within the context of its enabling laws.
The objective for which the Fund was established has been pursued vigorously and efficaciously.
In its over five decades of existence, the ITF has not only raised training consciousness in the economy, but has also helped in generating a corps of skilled indigenous manpower which has been manning and managing various sectors of the national economy.
Over the years, pursuant to its statutory responsibility, the ITF has expanded its structures, developed training programmes, reviewed its strategies, operations and services in order to meet the expanding, and changing demands for skilled manpower in the economy.
As part of its responsibilities, the ITF provides Direct Training, Vocational and Apprentice Training, Research and Consultancy Service, Reimbursement of up to 50% Training contribution paid by employers of labour registered with it, and administers the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
It also provides human resource development information and training technology service to industry and commerce to enhance their manpower capacity and in-house training delivery effort.
The main thrust of ITF programmes and services is to stimulate human performance, improve productivity, and induce value-added production in industry and commerce.
Through its SIWES and Vocational and Apprentice Training Programmes, the Fund also builds capacity for graduates and youth self-employment, in the context of Small Scale Industrialization, in the economy.
Since his assumption of office as the Director General of the Fund about six years ago, Sir Joseph Ari has pursued the agency’s core mandate with vigour, which has led to milestone achievements in different facets; recently the Fund unveiled its skills acquisition strategic policy plan for the year 2022 to 2025.
While unveiling the strategy, Ari explained that the new policy framework, which has as its theme: Re-Engineering Skills for Sustainable Development, has external and internal components.
According to him, the policy is the third of such by his administration since his assumption of office in September, 2016, stressing that the policy was key to the nation’s greatness, economic growth and development.
Ari said, “You will recall that on assumption of office in 2016, we unveiled the ITF Reviewed Vision: Strategies for Mandate Actualization.
“The plan, which was initially slated to terminate in 2022, was, however, reviewed in 2020 to address gaps that were identified in the course of its implementation.
“It was also for us to appropriately respond to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our numerous clients.
“While it lasted, the plan enabled the ITF to aggressively address service challenges by computerizing our operations, tackling infrastructural challenges to expand access to Nigerians desirous of acquiring skills.
“It was also to generally address a gamut of other strictures which were impinging on our ability to effectively discharge our mandate for national economic growth and development and the general good of Nigerians.”
Ari noted that, inspite of the numerous achievements recorded on account of these initiatives, the ITF realized that more needed to be done if the Nation must fully tackle the numerous socio-economic problems that are bedevilling the country.
The ITF boss decried the high level of poverty across the country, adding that ITF would continue to develop a vast pool of skilled manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the public and private sectors of the national economy in line with its mandate.
He said that the resolutions at the recently concluded ITF National Skills Summit in Abuja had made it imperative to review and refocus the strategies to address poverty and to meet the skills requirement of the nation in line with global best practices.
“In arriving at our strategies, we considered the need to scale up our activities to address the soaring unemployment and other socio-economic challenges.
“This is to be done by leveraging our three Es (Experience, Expertise and Expansive network), deployment of technology for wider coverage and more flexible service delivery,” he said.
Ari listed the internal components of the plan to include Value Reorientation, Industrial Development, Commercialization of ITF Facilities, Alternative Funding Window, Deployment and Promotion, Annual Budget Preparation and, Revenue Generation.
He explained that the components were aimed at driving the external components of the new policy direction, which covers Standardization and Certification, Technical and Vocational Skills Training Programmes, Skills Intervention Programmes, Electronic and Virtual Learning and, Optimal Utilization of Skills Training Centres (STCs) and Vocational Wings (VWs).
The Director-General said that ITF was committed to leveraging technology for flexible service delivery and widening the scope of its operations through electronic and virtual learning platforms.
He said, “The Fund will develop and deploy appropriate learning content; coordinate all electronic and virtual learning programmes; monitor and evaluate the implementation of all electronic and virtual learning programmes and; provide and deploy appropriate collaborative tools.
“With these, we hope to achieve effective and efficient service delivery, a satisfied customer base, improved patronage of our services, enhanced revenue generation, and an increased number of participants in our programmes by at least 40% annually.
“We believe that the new Policy framework if fully implemented will place us in better stead to fully implement our mandates and drive the achievements of the Federal Government’s goals with particular reference to unemployment, poverty and their associated consequences.
The Director General also disclosed that the ITF currently has three centres for Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) in Lagos, Kano and Jos, as well as boasted well-equipped training centres and vocational wings; trained 450 Instructors annually; maximized investment and improved its revenue base.
