Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The inaugural edition of the Julius Berger Vocational Support Programme kicked off Monday with the company’s Director, Administration, Alh. Dr Abdulaziz Kaita telling the fresh trainees that the construction company has always been an excited partner in progress with the governments at all levels in the country.

“Julius Berger has always been partner in progress with the government and part of our contribution to the society is to have vocational training as a way forward for the country, he said.

He admonished the Programme participants to work hard and asked questions to enhance their respective employable lives upon graduation from the programme in a few months’ time. 

Speaking on the process that threw up the participants for the programme, the Director said that the trainees must count themselves lucky to have mage it as they were the lucky 36 candidates from the over 9,000 applicants that applied for the training.

He was full of praise for the female participants whom he described as extremely lucky and deservedly so.

He said, I’m very happy that we have women here. This is because if you educate a man, you educate an individual but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation. So can you clap for the women here too. You know they are our mothers. And if you educate a woman she will transfer the knowhow to others and before you know it, we get a woman to educate a whole nation.

The Head, Human Resources Department, Mr Olorumfemi Ojomo who welcomed the trainees told them Julius Berger Nigeria Plc takes the Vocational Support Programme serious; and as a result it took a Director in the company to be present to address them. 

Urging them to always feel free to ask relevant Faculty members questions on the Programme, he disclosed that there are quite a lot for the trainees to learn including benefits like receiving quality training, certification, tools support and mentorship; even as he wished them all good success.

The Julius Berger Vocational Support Programme, a CSR initiative is designed to empower Nigerian youths with technical skills and certificates for better employability and socioeconomic progress.

It is a 10-month technical training programme in automotive repair services, considering the fast-evolving nature of the automotive industry.

The curricula have been so designed for training in the following technical expertise to enable beneficiaries learn a skill that will remain commercially viable for the foreseeable future: Auto Mechanics and Battery Services, Vulcanizing, Alignment and Wheel Balancing as well as Auto Diagnostics.

The programme targets adult Nigerians resident in Abuja with a School Leaving Certificate. It is also for women seeking opportunities in the areas of technical expertise and for persons within disadvantaged groups, PWDs.

The company’s Head, Human Reources Department, Mr. Olorunfemi Ojomo, Chief Risk Officer, Mrs Shakira Mustapha and the Director, Administration, Dr. Abdulaziz Kaita. Others were Talent Development and Academy Manager, Mrs Goodness Onoja and Mrs Happiness Moses of the Media Relations Office.

The Academy’s Faculty members at the event included: Trade Area/Auto Electrical system; Emmanuel Iloduba,  Trade Area/Safety;  Adegbe Adegbe, Trade Area/ Program Coordinator, Samuel Ofobotekeru, Trade Area/Vulcanization and Wheel balancing, Mohammed Bin Ahmed,  Trade Area/Auto Electrical System; Muhammed Aminu, and Trade Area/Auto Diagnostics, Danlami Umar.