I
t is no longer news that universi-
ty education in Nigeria does not
necessarily assure you of wealth or
fulfilment. The reality is that there
are millions of university graduates
roaming about the streets of our
major cities looking for non available jobs.
The well paying white collar jobs seem to
have been reserved for only a negligible
few. To get a well paying job, it is either you
are well connected to those in authority or
exceptionally lucky as a result of your bril-
liance and the grace of God. It is therefore
not unusual to hear of choice corpora-
tions like CBN and NNPC holding secret
recruitment for high cadre jobs. Often,
only children of the highly placed end up
getting recruited to managerial positions.
In order words, nepotism has become the
norm and not the exception in this part of
the world.
Understandably, many young minds,
having understood the changing dynamics
of today’s work force, have come to em-
brace the need to embrace technical skills.
Some have become entrepreneurs through
skill acquisitions and many more are work-
ing to be self reliant rather than waiting
endlessly for non existing white collar jobs.
In a bid to make positive impact in the
society through education, the Archdio-
cese of Lagos, with the full buy-in of His
Grace, Alfred Adewale Martins, Arch-
bishop of Metropolitan See of Lagos, has
identified the need to establish a Technical
Institute where practical skills would be
acquired by our young people. The initia-
tive will address the poor-quality services
offered by local service providers(arti-
sans) in auto-maintenance, construction
projects, HVAC, Information Technology
and General maintenance of facilities. The
implication of the skills gap is the influx of
foreign skilled workers which results into
local unemployment in the country.
St. Joseph the Worker Technical Institute-
a project that was initiated by Catholic Men
Organisation in Lagos Archdiocese and
now adopted by His Grace, Most Rev (Dr.)
Alfred Adewale Martins, located in Idimu,
Lagos State – is one of the response of the
church to the yearning need for youths de-
velopment avenues in Nigeria.
On 9th November 2018, His Grace Al-
fred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of
Metropolitan See of Lagos constituted a
Committee for the establishment of the St.
Joseph the Worker Technical Institute. The
Committee amongst others was charged
to draw up a document which provides a
guide for the commencement of academic
programmes in the Technical Institute.
The Committee members are: Engr.
Abiodun John Olumide, Chairman; Mr
John Aigbokhaode, Member; Arc. Ben
George-Ufot, Member; Mr. Obinna Amae-
china, Member; Mrs. Evelyn Oputu, Mem-
ber; Engr Olawumi Anthony Gasper mni,
Member/Secretary.
Project Objectives
• To empower our youths with em-
ployable skills:
• Equip our youths with certifi-
cations that make them employable
globally.
• To create a skilled workforce for
the industrial sector.
• To create a reliable pool of skills
within the church for the vari-
ous developments and expansion
schemes of the church
• Provide our Youths with
self-employment skills that will
make it easier for the various charity
groups in the church to assist them.
• Equip our youths with skills
that enable them participate in var-
ious government empowerment
schemes.
Strategy 1
• The Institute will focus at
achieving its intended purpose of
supplying skilled manpower in
diverse and critical areas of needs
for the Archdioceses projects in
particular and the Larger Society as
well.
• Exposure to quality training and
practicals/project exposures with
internships at some Archdiocese
project sites. Gradually, this will re-
lieve the project sites of unskilled,
inefficient and dissatisfied workers,
engaged in the provision of services
and on project sites.
• Trainings offered by the In-
stitute will ensure the acquisition
of technical and entrepreneurial
skills and knowledge, especially the
opportunities to acquire the com-
petences required in today’s work
place with a global and internation-
ally recognized NSQ certification.
Strategy 2
• The Committee has built into
the project a global and internation-
al qualification systems, the Nation-
al Skills Qualifications(NSQ).
• Levels 1-3, for the validation-as-
sessment of the training offered.
The total credit hours is 400CH.
At the end of the programme, the
trainees will coordinate and carry
out advanced works or services.
The programme is proposed for
12-15 months. The Institute will
provide 15weeks(120CH) intensive
classroom instructions and work-
shop practicals, supported by audi-
obooks and other on-line learning
resources. At relevant construction/
building sites, workshops and ICT
hubs additional 3-months of hands-
on work based trainings will be ar-
ranged to provide the youths a full
range of skills and knowledge for a
highly skilled occupation. Trainees
are back to the Institute after the
3-months at workshops, sites and
hubs for 2-weeks report
Strategy 3
• writing exercises and updating
their evidences in the portfolio. For
the next 3-months the trainee will
be assigned to a workshop/site/hub
under the guidance of the industry
supervisor and the last quarter at a
workshop/site/hub without super-
vision and challenged to begin and
end a project. For construction pro-
grammes, a maximum of 25 train-
ees will be enrolled in each of the
trade programmes.
• On completion of the pro-
gramme, the trainee will be exam-
ined and assessed by the Awarding
Body(NIOB or NABTEB) for vali-
dation as NSQ Level 3 Graduate, an
international certification required
for registration as a “Master Crafts-
man” and licensed to practice as a
“Registered Plumber”, Registered
Mason”, Registered Electrician”,
“Registered HVAC Technician” and
“Registered Auto-Technician”, as
relevant in respective sectors and
eligible to be engaged as a sub-con-
tractor on construction project
sites.
• Noteworthy, is the engagement of
instructors/trainers with extensive
relevant industry experience. Pa-
rishioners with such experience but
are fully engaged will be encour-
aged to share their experiences on
adhoc basis with the trainees. The
Brief has been developed, confident
of the availability of well resourced
Faculty.
Strategy 4
• The project is divided into two
phases, and the programs in the 1st
and 2nd Phases are:-
• i) Construction: masonry, car-
pentry, domestic plumbing, domes-
tic electrical installation, tiling and
POP/Finishes and furniture/cabinet
making.
• Information Technology: soft-
ware development/mobile applica-
tions, photography/video editing
and hardware repairs.
• Ii). Fashion & Clothing
• Service Sector: auto-mainte-
nance, heat, ventilation and air con-
ditioning (HVAC).
The first phase of the project is expected
to gulp N60,113,298.75
