The Kaduna State Government said on Thursday that it would soon roll out its policy on skills development, tailored to address unemployment in the state.
The Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Dr Shehu Adamu stated this in an interview. Adamu said that the policy was developed with the support of the Department for International Development (DFID), after series of seminars and workshops involving professionals and other stakeholders.
“When I assumed office as commissioner in this ministry, I realized that there was no existing policy in the state on skill acquisition. “I therefore made concerted efforts to ensure that we develop one. “We have organised a seminar, a two-day workshop and held an interactive session with stakeholders on the policy, ‘’ he said.
Adamu added that a draft copy of the policy was ready and would soon be presented to the State Executive Council for approval. The commissioner said that after the approval, the policy would be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for enactment. He also said that efforts were on to reorganize the programmes of Business Apprenticeship Training Centres (BATCs) in the state, to make them more responsive to present day realities. Adamu also said that 10 out of the 24 BATCs in the state would be renovated before the end of the year.
The commissioner further said that already, contracts for the renovation of three of the centres had been awarded, while five more were in the pipeline. “The step is to ensure that the BATCs make the desired impact for which they were created. “I will soon go round to see how far the contractors have gone,”Adamu said.
Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.