By Our Correspondent
No fewer than 4,050 trainees have graduated from the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development (KIVTSD) as the Kaduna State Government intensifies efforts to equip young people with practical skills and improve their access to employment and enterprise opportunities.
The graduates were drawn from the institute’s three campuses, strategically located to serve the three senatorial zones of the state.
Governor Uba Sani, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, described the maiden graduation as a significant milestone in the state’s drive to transform vocational training into sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities.
According to him, the state government committed ₦810 million in grants and start-up support to the programme, while also facilitating internationally recognised qualifications and industry linkages for the trainees.
He said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between skills acquisition and actual economic opportunities, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that beneficiaries could translate their training into livelihoods, businesses and sustainable economic value.
The governor said the success of the programme had attracted commendations from senior Federal Government officials, industry stakeholders, parents and the graduates themselves.
Of particular significance, Sani disclosed, was the decision by the Federal Ministry of Education to adopt KIVTSD’s training manuals as reference materials for the development of a nationwide guide for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.
He attributed the development to the recognition of the quality and relevance of the institute’s training model.
The governor also disclosed that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), led by Professor Idris Bugaje, had recognised Kaduna’s vocational training institutes among the best in the country.
According to him, the recognition was based on the institutes’ modern facilities, excellence and deployment of industry-standard technology.
Sani said the endorsements demonstrated that the Kaduna Model was achieving more than the production of skilled young people, stressing that it was gradually developing a framework with relevance beyond the state.
He said the state’s investment in vocational and technical education was based on the conviction that developing practical skills was critical to preparing young people for changing economic realities.
The governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as his support and partnership with sub-national governments.
He said the Federal Government’s approach under Tinubu had created greater room for states to innovate, take decisive action and deliver meaningful programmes to their citizens.
Sani, however, stressed that the graduation of the 4,050 trainees marked only the beginning of the KIVTSD journey.
He said his administration remained committed to building a Kaduna State where skills would lead to opportunities, opportunities would generate enterprises, and enterprises would ultimately contribute to dignity, prosperity and lasting economic impact.
The governor said the state would continue to strengthen its skills-development programmes as part of broader efforts to improve employability, encourage entrepreneurship and create sustainable economic opportunities for its citizens.
