FG begins training for 700 new workers

The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja commenced induction training programme for 700 newly recruited civil servants in a bid to improve their performance and efficiency.

The 5-day pilot induction organised by the Office of the acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, was for newly recruited officers on Grade Level 07-10 in the Federal Civil Service.

The training aimed at equipping the new recruits with relevant knowledge about the Civil Service was part of the programme of the 2017-2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP).

Declaring the training workshop open, the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (Ag HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, charged the trainees to take advantage of the programme to acquire relevant skills needed to function in a global economy.

Lamenting the failure to induct thousands of civil servants in the past, Dr Yemi-Esan noted that the Nigerian civil service was shifting emphasis away from theories to hands-on skills that will differentiate them from the pack.

According to her, the induction programme is the most fundamental every aspiring officer in any corporate setting must be subjected to, as it is globally recognized that inductions are an effective way of training fresh employees on their roles in an organization and increases their retention and overall performance in a manner that mutually benefits the organization and the employee.

“While I believe that we all have our individual aspirations, nonetheless, it would indeed be most gratifying to see some of you here rise to become seasoned directors, permanent secretaries or even the head of service or any other prominent office in the country. In order words the opportunities for you are boundless.

“However, these would not be handed over to you on a platter of gold. If you have been abreast of developments in our contemporary public service, you will appreciate that the various reforms being introduced to transform the service are systematically taking root and if you are to key into the new system, you must embrace the virtues of hard work and integrity,” Yemi-Esan said.

She said, “For instance, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive, we have commenced the process for the complete implementation of the Human Resource Module of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in the Public Service. It is commonly adduced that there is job security in the Civil Service and as such things can be taken for granted.

Speaking earlier, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO), OHCSF, said that the last service wide induction training for federal workers was conducted as far back as 2013 which now leaves a backlog of over 5000 un-inducted new officers in the service.