German Government sees skills acquisition playing key role in economic transformation, entrepreneurship

The Federal Republic of Germany has tipped Nigerian for stronger economic growth if the country can harness its vast natural and human resources by giving priority to skills acquisition and training.

Speaking in Lagos during the graduation ceremony for a new set of apprentices in Office Administration profession of the ongoing German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria (G-DVTPW-N), the German Consul General to Nigeria, Ingo Herbert, specifically tasked the government to give Dual Vocational Training (DVT), special attention.

Herbert who was represented by the Political, Cultural and Press attaché of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos, Sebastian Polzin called on Nigerian Government to borrow from Germany that brought its economy out of doldrums through DVT.

According to him, as a result of the introduction of the training Germany today has the lowest unemployment rate in the world and not less than 95 percent of its youths are gainfully employed.

Speaking in the same, Martin Hug, Short Term Expert and German DVT trainer in Nigeria, remarked that, “In Germany the employers and the industry demanded the dual vocational training in 1950 because they needed employees with basic skills and with specific knowledge.

“Dual Vocational training brings a great advantage to the employers and the employees. Through the combination of theoretical and practical elements the trainees receive basic skills and a broad knowledge in their field. After 12 months the employers get highly qualified staff.”

According to the G-DVTPW-N programme Coordinator, kehinde Stephen Awoyele, “German Dual Vocational Training Partnership With Nigeria, is an initiative of Federal Republic of Germany and is geared towards rising the employability bar of Nigerian youths and reducing poverty in the country. It is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and conducted by sequagGmbH. It’s steered by the CCI Giessen-Friedberg as the German project partner.

“The partnership programme focuses on Office Administration, Industrial Mechanics, Industrial Electronics and Technical Facility Management professions- the first phase of the project ran successfully from 2012-2015, and it is now in the second phase that will terminate in 2018.”

In his speech Awoyele highlighted lack of company support for apprentices and trainers dedication during the training as part of challenges to be overcome in the training.

The sustainability of the programme that has trained scores of Nigerian youths in different parts of the country was of serious concern to The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI.

Speaking through its Chairman, Board of Business Education, Services and Training Unit, Soboma Ajumogobia, the chamber however expressed confidence that, “Our Nigerian partners will rise to the unique challenge of shouldering the onerous responsibility for this important project and also for sustaining it in the years and decades ahead of 2018 as we collectively strive to build a critical mass of competitive, productive and highly skilled workers.”

Ajumogobia in the meantime saluted “consistent, committed and laudable collaborative efforts of various Nigerian partners in underscoring sustainability of this programme well into the future as we approach the inevitable closure of the funding window- a critical success factor from the government of the Federal Republic of Germany”.

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