By Tony Obiechina Abuja
Towards strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the country, the Federal Ministry of Education is rolling out a nationwide Program to equip Nigerians with industry-relevant skills.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry, through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has called on Skill Training Centres (STCs), Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs), and Mastercraft Persons (MCPs) to register for accreditation.
In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folashade Boriowo on Saturday, Accreditation will enable them to receive government funding to train candidates under the TVET Program.
To ensure quality and standardization, the Ministry has set the following mandatory requirements for registration and accreditation:
*Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs) must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and adopt National Skills Qualification (NSQ)-Based Curricula. *They must have at least one qualified instructor per trade, maintaining a 1:40 instructor-to-student ratio. Each trade must also have a Quality Assurance Assessor (QAA) and an Internal Quality Assurance Manager (IQAM), or engage part-time personnel if unavailable.
*Skill Training Centres (STCs) must also be CAC-registered and implement NSQ-Based Curricula. Each program requires a qualified instructor or an experienced senior artisan with at least NSQ Level 3 certification. Centres must have at least one QAA and one certified IQAM or engage part-time personnel if necessary.
*Mastercraft Persons (MCPs) seeking accreditation must possess either a CAC registration or a National Identification Number (NIN) and adopt NSQ-Based Curricula. They must have at least one qualified instructor or experienced artisan with NSQ Level 3 certification.
*The training environment must include workshops and restrooms, with records of past training programs and certifications awarded.
Accredited institutions and individuals will be eligible for government funding to train candidates under the TVET Program. Interested applicants should apply via the NBTE Digital Portal: www.digitalnbte.nbte.gov.ng/TVET/TVETApplication2.
