NSSEC trains 100 FCT students on vocational, tech skills

NSSEC trains 100 FCT students on vocational, tech skills

No fewer than 100 senior secondary school students from the FCT have been trained by the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) on vocational and technological skills.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the pilot edition of the programme in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of NSSEC, Dr Iyela Ajayi, said the training was part of the Commission’s 2025 Long Vacation Skills Acquisition initiative.

Ajayi was represented by the Commission’s Head of Teacher Development and International Partnerships, Mohammed Salihu.

He said the programme was designed to empower young Nigerians with practical skills that would make them self-reliant and future-ready.

“This programme, which commenced on Aug. 25, brought together 100 students from across schools in the FCT.

“Over the past two weeks, they have been exposed to hands-on training in Plaster of Paris (POP) design, tiling, plumbing, painting, solar panel installation, CCTV installation, catering and culinary skills, as well as robotics,” he said.

Ajayi noted that the initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises education, skills development, youth empowerment and job creation.

“When students are equipped with entrepreneurial skills early in life, they are better positioned to innovate, compete and contribute meaningfully to national development,” Ajayi said.

He explained that some of the Commission’s recent initiatives included the ‘Grow What You Eat’ project, aimed at reintroducing school farming to promote food security.

Others, he said, are teacher capacity building for ICT and inclusive practices, the development of minimum standards for senior secondary education, and the formulation of a national policy for the sub-sector.

He commended the ministers of education for supporting the initiative.

He added that their leadership had strengthened efforts towards compulsory 12 years of education, expansion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and inclusivity for girls and learners with special needs.

He urged participants to use the skills acquired to transform their lives and contribute to national development.

Read Also: Nasarawa Assembly advocates more humanitarian services to…

“You are leaving this programme not just with skills, but with a new mindset, a mindset of creativity, problem-solving and self-reliance.

“I charge you to be ambassadors of this initiative and to use these skills to build a brighter future for yourselves, your families, and our great nation,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin, said the ITF was passionate about skills acquisition.

Oluwatoyin, represented by a staff member, Ojo Akindele, explained that the core mandate of the ITF was human capacity development, stressing that the Fund carried everyone along in its projects.

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Dika Mohammed commended the facilitators and students for dedicating ten days to the training.

Mohammed appealed to government and the private sector to support similar initiatives more frequently so that youths could gain employment.