The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun the training of 100 persons in Ebonyi on Quick Fix Driven skills and Technocultural Craft.

The agency’s director-general, Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, speaking at the orientation ceremony on Saturday, said that trainees were selected from the 13 local government areas of the state.

Mr Fikpo, represented by the state coordinator, Don Anaba, said unemployed youths and women would be trained in the two trendy skills, including quick fix and technocultural craft being implemented within the rural areas of the state, using localised trade skills.

He noted that the 100 trainees were made up of 50 trainees on quick fix skills and 50 on technocultural craft for the training.

“The skills in focus practised by particular localities include blacksmithing, bead stringing, pottery, tie and dye, wood carving, interior decoration, and cosmetology, among others,” he said.

He recalled that the NDE had recruited and trained over 2,000 unemployed youths and women in modern vocational skills, and over 1,000 persons are being trained in entrepreneurship skills with scores in graduate attachment and environmental beautification schemes.

He also disclosed that over 800 graduate trainees had been resettled with soft loans and starter packs in agriculture, vocational skills and business enterprises.

“More women and youths in the NDE job creation programme will exit joblessness.

“I assure you that the multiplier effect of this activity will create over 1,000 jobs within the next one year,” Mr Fikpo assured.

He further encouraged other youths to avail themselves by participating in NDE’s several job creation programmes.

He called for buy-in by willing partners to extend its programmes to nooks and crannies of the state.

The director-general assured that the NDE would soon re-introduce trainers’ capacity up-grading scheme to enable trainees to upgrade their abilities and workshop capacity with the assistance of the directorate.

He commended the state government, led by Governor David Umahi, for providing an enabling environment to strive and pleaded for continuous support and partnership for the success and well-being of citizens in the state.

Meanwhile, the director, Vocational Skills Development Department, Abuja, Isa Abdul, said the programmes are life-changing opportunities that need to be taken seriously by the participants.

Mr Abdul, who Igwesi Onyekwelu, an NDE officer, represented, added that it was an era of a talent show, as well as the key to the development and growth of any society.

(NAN)