The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has commenced five-day employability training for 45 beneficiaries of the Graduate Attachment Programme (GAP) in Adamawa.

Declaring the training open in a ceremony in Yola, the Acting Director General of NDE, Mr. Kunle Obayan, who was represented by the Adamawa State Coordinator of NDE, Mallam Ismaila Yaradua, said the training by the Special Public Works Department (SPW) of the directorate was meant to enhance the graduates so that they would be retain in their areas of attachment.

“This training on enhancing employability of GAP beneficiaries is designed to provide skills and personal attributes for the beneficiaries as part of the innovations not just by SPW department but by the entire NDE to be in tune with evolving technological advancement and meeting with current realities.

“The modification also is to prepare the beneficiaries for proactive and productive performance in carrying out their assignment in the various places of attachment that may or would lead to retainment and not only that, but to discover themselves for self employment peradventure they may not be retain.”

Obayan who disclosed that NDE was currently modified, said that new employment schemes targeted at new diverse groups were in the pipeline such as the School-To-Work scheme for secondary school students which is now being tried in some selected states.

“The initial target group of the scheme is secondary school students in JSS 2 to SS 2. This initiative is aimed at imparting vocational skills on students as part of their schools’ curricular.

“The trades the students will be engaged in cut across numerous aspects of vocational and technical skills.”

The DG also listed what he called “Smart Farmer” as another new scheme embarked on by the directorate.

While noting that NDE would continue to strive in meeting the demands of the present unemployment situation, he lauded Adamawa government for it support to NDE programmes in the state.

Also speaking at the training, the Assistant Director in charge of Special Public Works (SPW) of the directorate, Mr Christopher Bamsida, urged the beneficiaries to optimize the opportunity given them by taking the training seriously.

Bamsida said that the directorate with the commitment of the trainees wanted to see that if not all, about 70 per cent of them were retain at the end of their six months attachment.