President inaugurates first training course of “skills programme”

President Mohamed Nasheed has inaugurated the first course of the government’s Rf360 million national “skills programme” intended to train 8,500 youth for skilled employment.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Post Office workshop area this morning, Nasheed observed that the main impediment for employment or job creation in the Maldives was the lack of skilled workers.

There were 12,000 expatriate workers with some skills earning between Rf90,000 and Rf100,000 a month, said Nasheed, adding that 30 percent of working age youth in the Maldives could not find jobs.

The first course under the programme is being conducted by the Centre for Career and Technical Education (CCTE) to train 100 youth in heavy load vehicle operations. In addition to 60 participants to be trained in Male’, the course will also be conducted in Haa Dhaal Kulhudhufushi in the north and Gaaf Alif Villigili in the south with 20 participants each.

Participants in the various training programmes for youth would meanwhile be paid a monthly allowance of Rf2,000.

Earlier this week, the government contracted five parties to conduct training programmes for 645 youth.