Hundreds of children in Taraba State are now learning skills like motor mechanic, painting, bricklaying and other skills, North -East Trust’s findings have revealed.
Unemployment, it was gathered, was the driving force that encouraged many parents to take their children to mechanic workshops to learn handwork in the state.
A visit to a mechanic village in Jalingo revealed that hundreds of youths, mostly the less privileged ones, are learning various skills, which include motor mechanic, wiring, welding, car painting and motor building work among others.
The youths, who are all over the mechanic village and other motor mechanic workshops in the city, were seeing learning different works when our reporter visited the workshops.
Findings further revealed that many of them, who had graduated from the mandatory seven years apprentice, have set up their own workshops and are making good fortune.
One of the boys, Aminu Ibrahim, said it was his father that brought him to learn motor mechanic.
Aminu said he is in Primary 5 and it was last year that he was brought to Yahaya mechanic workshop in the mechanic village.
He further stated that he usually comes to work after school hours, adding that he is learning the skills of repairing Japanese cars.
“I will continue as a motor mechanic even after my secondary school education because it will offer an opportunity to be self-employed,” he said.
Mallam Sanusi Mohammed, a father of two youths learning motor repairs, said he brought his children to the workshop when they were at the ages 10 and 12.
He said it was one of the best options for him because children of the poor hardly get employment in the state.
Sanusi said his two sons had advanced in motor mechanic having spent close to nine years learning the skills.
A mechanic, Yahaya Adamu, told North- East Trust that in recent years, many parents are bringing their children to learn various skills at different mechanic workshops in Jalingo and across the state.
He said it takes between seven to eight years for hard working youth to master skills of car repairs while it take less years to learn car painting, penal beating, electrical work and other skills.
“We encourage youths to learn repairs of Japanese car because of their numbers and the new approach by many parents will enable more youths to be self-employed,” he said.
He further stated that there are rules guiding children brought to the workshops to learn skills and each of them is expected to abide by the guidelines.
Yahaya said in the next few years, youths would take over motor mechanic work in the state as a result of the interest shown by the many of them.
North-East Trust’s visit to Zing, Serti, MutumBiyu, Bali and Takum revealed that more youths are learning motor mechanic with many of them running workshops for motor repairs, panel beating, electrical work and painting.
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