60 ABIA YOUTHS GET EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ABIA STATE EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT (E4E) INITIATIVE

No fewer than 60 Abia youths who were sent to acquire skills in Automobile Diagnostics and Maintenance at Innoson Kiara Academy, Nnewi have completed the training one year later, ABIA ONLINE has learnt.

The Abia state government in partnership with the Abia State Education for Employment (E4E) Agency sponsored the project while the German government partly contributed by providing top-of-the-line BOSCH diagnostic equipment.

ABIA ONLINE gathered that the 60 have now been grouped with several Master artisans in Abia state, where they will develop the skills they have acquired and eventually train new apprentices.

In addition, the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) in the region will supervise the Master craftsmen in the various states as part of this project, which spans five states in the Southeast with BOSCH diagnostic equipment worth over 50 million naira being provided to the various workshops.

At the event, the Abia State branch of NATA praised the Abia State Education for Employment (E4E) initiative, saying it provided an opportunity to link the project with other ongoing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes in the state.

It is on record that the Governor received World Bank funding through the IDEAS project to finish the construction of three technical colleges (one in each Senatorial zone) that he began in 2015.

As of today, one of the beneficiaries is Government Technical College, Umuahia, which will have a state-of-the-art Automobile Maintenance Workshop in collaboration with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, with a link to Ohia Mechanic Village.

The Abia state government has assured that this current project will be linked to a World Bank-funded sustainability project.

The Honourable Commissioner was represented by the Director of Technical Education at the Ministry of Education at the event. Also present were members of the Project Implementation Unit of the World Bank-assisted IDEAS project, in addition to E4E staff.