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Since the inception of the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework in circa 2015, the country has been able to develop Levels 1, 2 and 3 National Occupational Standards (NOS) for most trades. Just a few trades have level 4 standards classified.

In the UK and most European countries where NSQF (NVQF as they call it) is implemented, government makes deliberate effort to ensure the progression of skilled workers from one competence level to higher ones.

In the Renewed Hope Job Creation Programme (RHJCP), there should be a progressive plan for upward movement of persons trained. That is skill growth.

There should be a futuristic plan for the programme to ensure that trainees transit from one skills level to a higher one. This will be a motivation to the trainees and beneficial to the skills economy.

The Renewed Hope Job Creation Programme (RHJCP) should be deliberately planned to train skilled workers, not apprentices.

The National Skills Qualifications Framework as published by NBTE in the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) Operational Manual (Jan, 2023) is a system for the development, classification and recognition of skills, knowledge, understanding and competencies acquired by individuals, irrespective of where and how the training or skill was acquired.

Attempts have been made to compare National Education System Equivalent against NSQF Levels as seen in the published image. Credit: NBTE.

Previous skills intervention programmes like the now defunct NPower scheme have been anchored on NSQ Level 1 which is aimed at producing Journey men, Trainee, Assistance or Semi-skilled Workers.

The explanation at inception was for it to be used as an entry point since NSQ is still new to the skills ecosystem of Nigeria. I hope enough publicity has been made and thousands of apprentices have been created. It is time to delve into the main meal, which is the training and Certification of Skilled Workers. That's the need of the industry.

The informal apprenticeship system requires a maximum of 5 - 6 months to train a skilled worker that will be supervised. That's equivalent of Level 2. The Guided Learning Hours in the National Occupational Standards further affirms its possibility.

Let's focus on training highly skilled workers.

Happy New Year