The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has called on schools of higher learning in Nigeria and others stakeholders can use
Skills Training Centres (STC) as incubation centres and vehicles for innovation and creativity.
The Director-General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari, who disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at the 3rd Annual Global Meeting of the Forum for Innovation in African Universities, explained that the Skills Training Centres (STC) located in Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Abuja and Plateau and the vocational wings which are attached to its area offices hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship (e-Hubs).
The theme of the forum was “Strengthening Africa’s higher education in a post Covid-19 world.”
On the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), Sir Ari explained that the scheme which emerged out of research by the Fund indicating the gap between theories in schools of higher learning and practices in industries is a prime example of one of such innovations.
According to him, through the SIWES, students of institutions of higher learning from engineering technology and allied disciplines, acquire practical skills in industries before their graduation thereby easing the transition from the classroom to the industry floor.
He said, “It will not be farfetched to assert that the quality of the Nigerian workforce could conceivably have been worse without practical exposure to industries before graduation. Other novel practices introduced by the ITF in the HRD sector have served to fundamentally change practices in the sector.
“As a forward-looking institution that places a premium on creativity and innovation, the Industrial Training Fund aligns its policy direction to prevailing global trends and government policy thrusts.
“One such policy and vision review is our current policy direction tagged: Re-Engineering Skills for Sustainable Development, which gave birth to the institutionalisation of the National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System (NATS).”
