Funmi Ogundare
The Ishk Tolaram Foundation has called for stronger collaboration among government, the private sector, schools and development partners to build a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem capable of addressing youth unemployment and preparing young Nigerians for the changing world of work.
The programme equipped participants with hands-on skills in fashion, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and solar installation.
The graduation, themed ‘TVET in the Age of AI: Skills, Jobs, and Youth Livelihoods’, highlighted the need for young people to combine technical competencies with soft skills, practical work experience and entrepreneurship support to remain competitive in the changing labour market.
As part of the ceremony, 15 graduates received business grants after participating in the foundation’s accelerator programme and winning its business pitch competition. The beneficiaries received cash prizes ranging from N100,000 to N1.5 million to support their businesses.
The foundation also presented awards of excellence to outstanding participants who distinguished themselves in various skill areas during the training.
Speaking at the ceremony, Programme Director in Nigeria, Oje Ivagba, explained that AI’s growing influence on jobs made it imperative to equip young people with practical, adaptable skills that would enable them to work alongside emerging technologies.
He said that while AI and machines would continue to automate aspects of work, many practical trades would still require human skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
“AI is changing how we work. Machines will automate. But while machines are powerful, they cannot weld. They cannot tailor. They cannot cook. They cannot repair. And they cannot design with a human touch,” he said.
According to him, the future would favour individuals who could effectively combine technology with practical skills, adaptability and problem-solving capabilities.
Ivagba said the foundation has trained more than 2,000 young people through its skills development programmes, with over 70 per cent of its graduates already employed or running their own businesses.
He said that through its alumni business support grant, more than N20 million has been invested in tools to help some of its outstanding graduates establish and expand their businesses.
He explained that the organisation’s approach went beyond teaching trades, as beneficiaries were also exposed to soft skills, technical knowledge, real workplace experience and certification, while successful graduates received support to launch or grow businesses.
Ivagba urged the graduating class to regard their certificates as a foundation for continuous learning rather than an end in themselves.
Speaking with journalists, the Senior Programme Manager at Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Abiola Oyeneye, noted that its six-month vocational skills programme is transforming the lives of young Nigerians by equipping them with technical and soft skills, work experience and start-up support to improve their employability.
He said the initiative was designed to provide opportunities for young people with limited educational qualifications who might otherwise struggle to secure employment.
The programme, he stated, offers beneficiaries a 100 per cent scholarship, basic training tools and personal protective equipment (PPE), enabling them to acquire practical skills without financial barriers. According to him, the programme comprises three months of intensive vocational training followed by another three months of industrial attachment facilitated through the foundation’s TVET partners.
Oyeneye said that the industrial attachment allows participants to put their classroom knowledge into practice while gaining exposure to real workplace environments.
“For some of these people, it’s a paid internship, so they get remunerated, a stipend, while they are also learning and offering value to those employer partners,” he stated.
He added that the combination of vocational training and workplace experience leaves beneficiaries better prepared to enter the labour market or establish their own businesses.
He noted that the initiative’s impact was also evident in the support provided to some graduates through business grants, which he said helped beneficiaries strengthen and expand their businesses.
He stressed that the programme goes beyond acquiring technical or hard skills, noting that soft skills and mindset development were deliberately incorporated into the training.
Oyeneye added that feedback from implementation partners has also shown the model helped beneficiaries become more resilient and better equipped to navigate the demands of work.
He further emphasised the need for artisans and vocational workers to embrace emerging technologies, particularly AI, rather than viewing technological advancement solely as a threat to their livelihoods.
In his remarks, the Director, NITDA IT Hub, University of Lagos, Prof. Victor Odumuyiwa, urged the youths to embrace vocational skills, describing the sector as a respectable field with vast employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. He identified five key qualities required for success in skilled trades: respect, readiness, relevance, resourcefulness and a commitment to continuous learning.
He encouraged artisans and vocational workers to leverage AI and other digital tools to improve their services, create value and build sustainable enterprises.
In his presentation, Oluwajoba Oloba, Lead, Private Sector Engagement and Investment, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), urged Nigerian workers, particularly those in the informal sector, to take personal responsibility for continuous training and reskilling as AI and other emerging technologies reshape the global labour market.
He highlighted emerging employment opportunities and the skills needed to remain competitive in the global economy, adding that the challenge was particularly critical in Nigeria, where about 93 per cent of employment is informal, meaning most workers operate without human resources departments, structured training budgets, or regular professional development programmes. However, Oloba cautioned Nigerians against abandoning skilled trades to pursue fashionable technology job titles, arguing that existing trades could be enhanced with technology and emerging skills.