The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), says it has begun the training of 549 youths in Jigawa, to enable them to acquire skills on various income-generating trades.
Malam Muhammad Jamo, the NDE Coordinator in the state, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Dutse.
Jamo said the three-month training exercise was being conducted under the directorate’s Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAs).
He said the beneficiaries, drawn from the 27 LGAs, were being exposed to tailoring; auto mechanic, electrical, GSM and generator repairs, hair dressing and leather work among others.
The gesture, he said, was to reduce unemployment and restiveness among youths and women, to enable them to become self-reliant through productive activities.
The coordinator, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to leverage on the opportunity and justify the investment being made on them by the Federal Government.
“I am using this opportunity to call on the beneficiaries to see the training, which began in May, as an opportunity for them to be self-employed and employers of labour.
“We also expect them to take their training seriously in order to learn the skills effectively so as to contribute meaningfully to the economic growth of their respective communities,” he said.