Karim: Skills training for Nigerian nationals in T&T

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education is gearing up to train 100 Nigerian nationals at the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) in Pt Lisas. Training will be offered in automotive services maintenance, arc welding and millwright. This was part of a discussion among Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim, Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, Minister of State in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Nigerian High Commissioner Musa John Jen and a delegation on February 6. The meeting was held to discuss future plans for training of Nigerian nationals in T&T, as well as to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta Programme. In December 2011, under a landmark agreement between the NECS and Qess Consulting Inc of Nigeria, 100 Nigerian nationals were welcomed to be trained at the NESC. Qess Consulting Inc, a private sector organisation, is working alongside the Nigerian government to provide accredited training to youths of oil producing Niger Delta. Insisting that his ministry and the National Training Agency were committed to supporting similar projects with the Nigerian government, Karim told Kuchi his ministry would do all it could to assist in developing training for their nationals.

 

Karim explained that the training would have a positive impact on the people of Nigeria, since they would not only be gaining skills, but also capacity in the energy sector. Karim assured Kuchi that training for energy skills would not be a problem as T&T had been in oil production since 1906. In addition to attaining technical training, the Nigerians will also be exposed to two additional modules at NESC—ITC and entrepreneurship. Giving insights into plans for the local technical and vocational sectors, Karim said the possibility of having Nigerian vocational qualification, similar to the Caribbean vocational qualifications was also on the cards. One idea Karim offered to the Niger Delta Affairs was the implementation of Workforce Assessment Centres (WAC) which was recently established in T&T to certify people who have skills but no certification, using the National Occupation Standard of Competence approved by industry. Kuchi and Karim agreed to expand the current arrangements to include other skills to the Nigerians at local institutions in the future including, maritime skills, culinary skills, environmental management and rig operations.