Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has stated that the Kaduna State Vocational and Technology Skill Acquisition City when completed will train and certify 400 trainees quarterly and 1,600 trainees every year in 19 different vocations.
Speaking while performing the ground breaking in Rigachikun, Igabi local government area on Saturday, the Governor, who commended former Speaker Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Zailani and Alhaji Hamisu Mairago for their efforts, said the City will be replicated across the three senatorial zones of the state, adding that the training schedule, which is based on the federally endorsed Nigerian Skill Qualification Framework, aimed at bridging the gap of human development from 23% to 46% by 2030.
“During our campaign and upon assumption of office, we promised the people of Kaduna state of human capital development to enable our youth compete globally. We carried out a skill gap assessment and found out that there are areas of skill deficiency. Jobs to be handled by our people in business concern is given to foreigners because of skill deficiency. There is urgent need to re-skill and up-skill our youth to make them employable.
“The Kaduna State Vocational and Technology Skill Acquisition City is a digital skill project that offers Microsoft Cisco for international certification, oil and gas welding and certification, articulate vehicles driving, refrigeration and air conditioner, automotive, mechatronic, catering, welding, tiling, solar power installation, aluminium fabrication, fashion and design and masonry.
“The City will train and certify 400 trainees every quarter which means 1,600 trainees will be graduated annually. The project has the potential of transforming Kaduna state into a IT and vocational technology hub. Kaduna state would become a leading knowledge economy in Nigeria,” he said.
The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by NBTE Director, Abbati Mohammed said they are at the City to support the laudable initiative of Governor Uba Sani.
“We had the approval of the Federal Executive Council to implement the Nigerian Skill Qualification Framework certified to national and international standard and this is what the Kaduna State Vocational and Technology Skill Acquisition City is going to train our youth towards. The skills will be work related and help them to be workers and employers,” he said.
The City, according to the builders, would have 16 workshops, four domitories, classrooms, administrative block, registry, clinic, cafeteria, kiosk, delivery, basketball court, football field, mosque, generator room, two outdoor public toilets and a parking space.
