No fewer than 27 Nigerian youths will travel abroad for skills training through the Nigerian Youth Skills Empowerment (NYSE) II programme in Poland and Denmark.

At the presentation of the selected apprentices in Abuja on Tuesday, Idris Bugaje, executive secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, stated that the training would provide Nigerians with hands-on knowledge.

Mr Bugaje said the board has been collaborating with the ERYK Group since 2019 to facilitate the training of Nigerians in Poland and Denmark, enabling them to acquire technical skills.

The training will allow successful candidates to obtain European skills certification as electricians.

The students may choose to work in these countries to help address the skilled labour shortage or return home with the knowledge gained to contribute to Nigeria’s technological development.

Mr Bugaje explained that the initiative would enhance the appeal of polytechnic institutions and help address the longstanding apathy towards technical and vocational education and training.

“The Nigerian Youth Skills Empowerment Programme is an opportunity for young Nigerians who have a national diploma in electrical engineering to have the opportunity of apprenticeship training in Europe for two years.

“It will make them acquire European skills qualifications, and after that, they will be given an opportunity for employment in Europe.

“At the moment, we are dealing with Denmark and Poland, and the students will serve in these countries, and at the end of the day, they will come back to Nigeria to build industries using their experiences,” said Mr Bugaje.

Mr Bugaje further explained that in November 2024, the board reviewed the polytechnic curriculum to benchmark it against European standards.

He said this would enable polytechnics to produce better-trained electrical engineering technicians who would benefit the entire education system. He added that the board aims to produce 1,000 Nigerian apprentices over the next 10 years, contributing to the country through sustainable jobs.

Also, education minister Tunji Alausa stated that the partnership with the European company would bridge the gap between classroom learning and the demands of the global workforce.

Mr Alausa, represented by his senior special adviser, Ismaila Adiatu, said the initiative would also help reduce unemployment, foster self-reliance, and position Nigeria as a hub for skilled professionals.

On his part, the president of ERYK Group, Jens-Christian Moller, said Poland, with an ageing population, needed to tap into Nigeria’s youthful population to develop skilled labour.

He promised to sustain cooperation with Nigeria to build a workforce with skilled expertise. 

(NAN)