Apply: ITF Set to Admit 100,000 Artisans Into Its Free Skill Up Programme

• The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has opened up applications again for its Skill Up Artisan Programme
• Another 100,000 participants will be onboarded and trained for free in training centres across Nigeria
• The Skill Up Artisans Programme was designed to fill in the industrial skills gap in Nigeria by providing free training and certification

Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is set to admit the next batch of artisan trainees for the second phase of its Skill Up Artisans Program (SUPA).

This is coming shortly after the successful completion of the pilot phase of the programme, and applications are now being received for the next phase.

The ITF Director General, Dr Oluwatoyin Afiz Ogun, disclosed this in a statement. Ogun noted that the Skill Up Artisans programme was initiated to address a skill gap in Nigerian industries.

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He added that it also leverages technology to aggregate existing and intending artisans in Nigeria to a programme where they can be exposed to international certifications and gain entrance into industries locally and internationally.

ITF’s free Skill Up programme

In his statement, the DG noted that the SUPA programme has three phases: the Foundation programme, SUPA I, and SUPA II.

The participants are exposed to introductions to the skills in the foundation phase, and then they are trained and certified in soft skills like Artisan Project Management, Artisan Health and Safety and Artisan Ethics and Patriotism in the subsequent phase.

Participants are duly paid stipends while in training, and they take certification examinations from International Awarding bodies before completing the programme, at no cost to them.

About 29,000 artisans from 90 senatorial districts in Nigeria are set to graduate from the foundation phase of 2024, having been trained in approved training centres nationwide.

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Recall that the Tony Elumelu Foundation is running a similar train and empower programme for entrepreneurs.

How to apply for ITF’s SUPA programme

Interested Nigerians can click here to register their interest in the programme.

The DG promised in his statement that the processes have been improved and onboarding and payments would be more seamless now.

He said;

“The Fund is pushing to complete the production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as well as obtain Essential Training Materials (ETMs) before the commencement of the program and the 100, 000 artisans to be trained in SUPA phase I including the 29,000 artisans who were graduated in the Foundation phase of the program. They are to look out for formal Notification of Admission into SUAP Letters which will be dispatched very soon”

He noted that the list of 100,000 successful trainees to be onboarded will also be displayed on the SUPA website and ITF website.

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Ogun added that ITF is also working to increase the number of training centres from 800 to 1500, and centre assessments would take place soon.

ITF is also in advanced stage discussions with the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to connect SUPA graduates with gainful employment in industries.

ITF trained technicians to produce Android phones

In related news, the Industrial Training Fund has said it is finalising plans to begin the manufacture of Android Mobile phones in Nigeria.

The agency's Director-General stated that plans are at the last stage to begin the roll out of the phones.

According to him, the manufacturing plants have been installed with the latest machines and that the agency is partnering with a Nigerian and Indian firm to train engineers who will work in these factories.

Source: Legit.ng