We’ve invested over N6bn in training of youths in 13 years —Nestle

AS part of its contributions to meeting technical skills needs in the country, Nestle Nigeria Plc, has spent over N6 billion to train over 198 young men and women in various techical skills in the last 13 years.

The company has also offered permanent employment to over 97 per cent of those trained till date.

Managing Director of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Wassim El-husseini, gave this hint at a graduation ceremony of the new set of youths trained by the company’s Technical Training Centre (NTTC) located in Agbara, Ogun State.

The new graduates who are products of Nigerian polytechnics and have studied various engineering courses, were 10 in all, bringing the total number of youths trained under the scheme this year alone to 30.

The managing director declared that the training lasted 18 months and it was rigorous and intensive, combining theoretical and practical works, and  culminated in the City and Guilds of London Technicians’ Certification, thereby enhancing their employability.

According to him, Nestle Nigeria believes in the potential of the younger generation, hence sharpening their skills and knowledge to make them fit in for the 21st century world of work and contribute meaningfully to their families,  communities and society at large.

El-husseini pointed out that the company does not limit its youth empowerment efforts to NTTC as it also offers internship and youth capacity development programmes to students in schools and fresh graduates undergoing national youth service scheme to enable them gain industry experience and become not only employable but also employers of labour.

He said the company had been able to reach more than 16,000 young men and women through various initiatives, promising continuous support to youths to enable them to thrive while congratulating all the graduands and their parents.

He therefore asked the trainees to always remember they were offered employment based on their outstanding performance while in class and on the fields and should be valuable assets to the company and Nigeria at large.

In his remark at the event, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, represented by the Director of the state’s school sports, Mr. Rotimi Okeleye, commended Nestle Nigeria for the intervention while urging the trainees to continue to seek knowledge, embrace innovation, and remain focus to achieving their dreams.

Earlier in their separate speeches, the Country Human Resources Manager of Nestle, Mr. Shakiru Lawal, and the outgoing factory manager, Agbara, Mr Ipinmoye Ibikun-Olu, shared insight into the training programme, saying it is open and free but selection is very competitive and training rigorous.

They said the trainees had been able to meet the recruitment standards of the company, reason they were offered employment while advising them to continue to improve themselves and remain consistent in moving forward.

Giving testimony about the programme, Bibire Ezekiel, one of the trainees, said the programme also exposed them to teamwork and “I can do it” spirit.

They declared that the centre parades world-class instructors and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and a well-stocked library, thanking Nestle Nigeria for investing in them and also offering them employment.

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