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AT the graduation of batch four of its Technical Training Center in Ogun State recently, Nestlé Nigeria reiterated its commitment to youth empowerment under its global flagship program, ‘Nestlé Needs youth’ which aims to help 10 million young people worldwide access economic opportunities by 2030.
Through Nestlé Needs youth initiatives, the company has reached over 12,000 young Nigerians through career fairs, entrepreneurship programmes, and skills training, equipping them to and decent employment or profitable entrepreneurship.
Nestlé Technical Training Centers (TTC) at Agbara and Abaji are a key part of the company’s efforts towards ensuring that youth within its communities are future-ready. With the aim to bridge the technical skills gap, participants receive vocational training in machining, mechanical fitting operations, electrical operations, instrumentation operations, and automation. The training follows an intensive 18-month theoretical and practical engineering syllabus, which culminates in the prestigious City and Guilds of London technician certications.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony attended by stakeholders, community leaders and parents, Mr. Sola Akinyosoye, Nestlé Nigeria’s Head of Human Resources, said, “Nestlé is determined to help young people develop future-ready skills that will position them to find decent employment or create their own businesses if
they choose to do so. We believe that communities cannot thrive if they fail to create opportunities for future generations. We will continue to invest in education and capacity development of youth to help reduce the burden of unemployment. I am proud of the quality of graduates produced by this scheme and particularly glad, that all the graduates we are celebrating today have been employed by Nestlé Nigeria.”
Also speaking at the event, The Nigeria Country Manager, City & Guilds, Mr. Martins Adeleke commended the performance, hard work, and enthusiasm of the graduates, pointing out that the best graduating student of the set who also came out tops in Africa is now recognised internationally.
Reflecting on his experience, top graduating student, Taiwo Olayade, said, “The training programme was a great boost to my intellectual prowess and has broadened my sphere of academ- ic knowledge, thus giving me a professional edge in the corporate world. Having been trained in Ni- geria and Switzerland, I am con- dent to say that I have acquired the needed skills and outstanding practical experience for employ- ability in this great programme”.
Nestlé Nigeria PLC opened her first Technical Training Center at her Agbara factory in 2011 and the Abaji center in 2017 to reach more participants. The programme has been supported by the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria since inception and recently got the attention of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) which supports the training center in Abaji in collaboration with Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA). To date, over 100 participants have completed the programme with over 90 percent employed directly by Nestlé.
