Integrated Trades and Apprenticeship

As the growing population in West Africa struggles with economic uncertainty, unemployment, employability issues, large number of out-of-school children, high poverty rate, and low GDP per capita, many in the informal sector hang on to vocational and technical trades for their livelihoods. Skills training take place mostly at non-recognized 'roadside' workshops giving rise to half-baked skills with little or no means of funding.

Prime Skillup is proposing a solution that identifies best hands among skilled persons across West Africa and have them replicate their knowledge and skills on millions of young enthusiasts in a standardized form. 

The scheme, Integrated Trades and Apprenticeship Program (iTAP) will help existing skilled persons advance their businesses through new tools, integration for joint tasks, and training on business development and digital marketing. The solution will encourage savings for business commencement and expansion through digital platforms, and provide funding opportunities from partnering banks and government incentives.

The iTAP solution addresses resilience issues affecting skilled  persons within the "missing middle" informal sector.

We aim to reach 12.5% of the non-farming informal sector in ten years, which represents 7.5 million persons in West Africa.

In Nigeria, with unemployment rising to 21.3% in Q3 of 2018 *, the non-farming informal sector which is made up of 68% of the non-farming workforce ** becomes the inevitable hope for livelihoods. Majority of this group (56%) ** are self-employed, making skills, funding and knowledge of business their key assets. These are what the iTAP solution focuses on providing for them.

One in 5 informal workers in Nigeria went through traditional mode of apprenticeship (21%) **.

Our recent studies in 9 LGAs in Lagos, Kogi and Kano states reveal that an average 9.4% of the working residents are informal SKILLED persons, representing 395,000 of of the 4.2 million population. While 32.6% of younger school-age respondents indicated that they would rather participate in apprenticeship program than going for university or polytechnic education. ***

DATA: 

* NBS;  

** Elaborations from World Bank's publication on "Improving Skills Development in the Informal Sector: Strategies for Sub-Saharan Africa" 2013;

*** Prime Skillup.

The iTAP solution is primarily aimed at skills development of a large chunk of persons in divers trades within the informal sector. We basically want to standardize trainings offered at private enterprises (workshops). We want to revamp the traditional mode of apprenticeship, to enable it produce better skilled persons for improved productivity and better income. The solution will also have impact on existing skilled persons (who will be registered as trainers) through training on business development, awareness on new tools for improved productivity, training on digital marketing, and funding opportunity through savings-to-loan financing. 

The solution aims to pull these skilled persons and their present/future trainees into a digital platform that facilitates flexible savings contributions. With planned partnerships with regional banks, FinTechs and telecom providers, the contributions will act as social safety net and resilience against future shocks (as participants can withdraw 20/25% periodically and also qualify for funding loan for business expansion or commencement. 

The solutions empowers this group among the "missing middle" with standardized training, cross-border connections and funding opportunities.

The iTAP solution reaches out to a vital section of the informal sector which includes people with vocational and technical skills, as well as younger persons who would aspire to acquire such skill. This group falls within what the Mission Billion WURI Challenge describes as the "missing middle". They are not considered poor enough for government social stipends, and also do not fall within the formal sector which benefits from government incentives. The solution registers and recognises this group, improves their skills and business knowledge and also encourages them to contribute to savings which grants them periodic withdrawals and loans.

The iTAP solution seeks to transform and greatly improve traditional modes of apprenticeship (WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN DONE IN WEST AFRICA). Skills will now be thought using standardized guidelines, and digital/printed manuals. Apprentices will now be tested, certified and digitally connected across border. 

Young persons looking for options of trades to learn can now do so at a glance via the digital platform. The solution connects young talents to skilled trainers. 

The solution's ID data provides easy access to loans and government incentives.

Through the digital platform and physical seminars, skilled persons and apprentices will be trained on application of modern tools for improved productivity; business development; digital sales and marketing; and finance management.

The Integrated Trades and Apprenticeship Program (iTAP) platform will utilize cloud based technology and Interoperable collaborations to streamline the following:

• Registration and Identification of participants
• Geo-data and controlled connections among participants
• Training materials sorted and distributed by relevance 
• Interbank, FinTech and telecoms collaborations for seamless savings contributions, withdrawals and loan applications
• Retaining of database of skilled persons with demographic grouping for development purposes, government incentives, research and employment linkages.

If people acquire trade skills in a well tailored systematic training process, and are encouraged to save fractions of their earnings, they will become better skilled, more productive, earn better income and will be more resilient to societal and economic shocks. They will contribute more to national and regional GDP thereby boosting the economies and reducing pressure on foreign exchange which depletes value of local currencies.

This will also reduce unemployment rates as more persons will be encouraged to join the skilled labour force due to the above benefits.

The iTAP solutions is a multi-industry solution targeting diverse trades within the informal sector. Prior to this, the regional governments do not have accurate account of the persons and activities within this group. Public incentives and social insurance programs would sit well with the iTAP solution if given the necessary support to run.

The iTAP solution platform will contain ID database of participants which will include their government issued IDs, in the case of Nigeria, in forms of National Identity Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), Bank account details and telephone numbers. These will be coupled with relevant iTAP data of skilled persons to provide adequate vetting for public social insurance benefits to be effectively coordinated and disbursed.

Features of the iTAP solution will be implemented through multi channel approach. This will include: 

• Mobile app for convince, swiftness and mobility
• Website for group access and more dynamic interaction
• USSD code linking for those with no access to the internet and/or smartphone
• Bank or service centre visits

The solution provides for direct linkage with trusted partnering organizations or government for seamless implementation of social insurance policies.

The iTAP solution proposes partnerships and interconnectivity  with regional banks, telecom providers, trusted FinTechs and public registries for program implementation.

This will be coordinated through a secure cloud-based system from inception.

Training manuals will be provided in both digital and print copies for effective learning, with translations in major local languages. The manuals will be adequately illustrated for easy comprehension.

Coaching for testing will be simplified for ease and efficiency.

USSD codes, and visits to banks  and service centres will be available for those with no access to the internet/smartphone as well as those with low literacy and numeracy levels.

We are yet to commence registration as we are still at the research and development stage.

In one year we aim to register 100,000 skilled persons as trainers and 250,000 existing/new apprentices.

In five years we would reach 1 million skilled trainers and 2.5 million apprentices.

With adequate support and our unwavering commitment we will reach our 5-year target of 3.5 million total skilled persons and trainees.

By the 5ft year, we would have established the program in all West African states.

We will achieve these milestones through implementation of our continuous scaling framework, rigorous oversight and collaborative partnerships and supports.

The significant barriers that may effect us reaching the set goals are as follows:

FIRST YEAR:

• Lack of adequate funds to hire and retain software engineer and tech lead.
• lack of finances to mobilize for, and fully develop training contents and manuals.
• Bottlenecks in reaching for collaborations from Trade Unions and cooperatives for membership drive awareness due to COVID-19 pandemic and lack of adequate vehicles for rural access.

FIVE YEARS:

-- Stereotypes and traditional norms of some locals may hinder satisfactory coverage of some communities

-- Low income among participants may hinder uninterrupted savings contributions.

FIRST YEAR:

• Lack of adequate funds to hire and retain software engineer and tech lead: We hope for support from donor organizations like the World Bank, EU, USAID, DFID, etc. We also hope yo raise funds from partnering banks. Prime Skillup is a for profit startup but this flagship program is purely aimed at benefiting the participants and building regional economies. We are not interested about profiting from this, but we are looking to develop other human capital development program that will be monitized. 
• lack of finances to mobilize for, and fully develop training contents and manuals: As above.
• Bottlenecks in reaching for collaborations from Trade Unions and cooperatives for membership drive awareness due to COVID-19 pandemic and lack of adequate vehicles for rural access: We are monitoring progress of government led Covid-19 response and the ease of lockdowns. This challenge will have better results moving forward as we try to also raise funds for logistics.

FIVE YEARS:

-- Stereotypes and traditional norms of some locals may hinder satisfactory coverage of some communities: Adequate engagement with stakeholders like town unions, traditional rulers, trade unions and local government authorities will help in sensitizing local communities.

-- Low income among participants may hinder uninterrupted savings contribution: This will improve along time as we engage participants with standardized skills training, business development coaching, digital marketing, and have them leverage the platform for tools sharing, task collaborations and  joint ventures. These features will ultimately lead to improved productivity (quality/scale) and improved income.

A total of 18 persons worked on the solution as follows:

• 3 full-time staff
• 3 volunteer state survey coordinators 
• 1 tech consultant
• 11 part-time field agents in 3 states.

I have personally had this passion since 2009, though it remained at research and documentation stage till February 2020. 

In 2019 I participated in the World Bank Open Learning Course on EdX: The Future of Work: Preparing for Disruption. I obtained a 98% point and verifiable (bb9ce06f094f48e787acd44d140a48b8) certificate of distinction from the World Bank (attached).

I'm a social entrepreneur by passion and a business development & business communication specialist by experience. Prior to starting Prime Skillup I have being a consultant to: 

• Google
• Oxfam
• The Tony Elumelu Foundation
• United Bank for Africa
• Nigeria International NGOs Forum (NIF)
• Mercy Corps
• iMap
• Girl Effect
• GOTNI Leadership Center

...and numerous indigenous organizations businesses.

Through Valt & Evy Media, a business support service I founded in 2005 and rebranded in 2011, I have led a team to successfully engage the above organizations and many more with positive results especially as regards their tasks on social development, branding, business communication business development.

I am committed to further learning and as I'm presently enrolled in a Harvard online course on Data Science. 

I am equally committed to choosing the best hands and more importantly, the best hearts to work with. 

We are not yet in partnerships but we are making arrangements for modalities of partnership with the following organizations:

• United Bank for Africa (for savings and loans scheme for participants)
• Ecobank (same as above)
• Trade Union Congress (for compliance and development of training manuals)
• National Board for Technical Education (for testing and certification of apprentices)
• Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (for business development facilitation and incentives for skilled persons)
• PayStack (to facilitate savings collection)
• MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile (for USSD facilitation, mobile number integration and airtime-to-savings collaborations)

Prime Skillup is a human capital development startup with focus on advancing skills development as key to improved productivity and enhanced livelihoods.

It is a social enterprise that seeks to reinvent the "blue-collar" sector in Nigeria and West Africa.

We provide free or low cost human development services to the low income segment of the society. We seek to transform lives by helping to individuals discover that skills acquisition is not far-fetched. We want to see people become creative and productive.

In return, their smiles, their resilience, their dependence, their impact on younger enthusiasts, become our ultimate goal.

WE ARE NOT BUILDING A CORPORATION. WE ARE BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF CREATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE POPULATIONS. 

The Integrated Trades and Apprenticeship Program (iTAP) is a social service scheme. We hope to raise initial startup funds in form of grants from donor development organizations like the World Bank, EU, USAID, DFID, etc. 

The solution will also seek funds from partnering banks and telecom providers through fractional percentage commission or donations. Such will be their commitment for service rendered and people they reached through our platform.

Advert charges will be paid by vetted tool marketers who would utilize the program platform to introduce reliable modern tools and technologies that enhance productivity for skilled persons.

We presently do not intend to charge participants for registering on the programme or using the platform. We will only charge minute fees as cost for printed ID cards and certificates (not exceeding production cost and logistics).

Donor partners and partnering banks would have their logos on PPEs and working vests that would be distributed free of charge to participants.

Monies invested in the Program implementation and administrative cost will come from the above mentioned sources.

In long term, the program will sustain itself through returns from continued partnerships with regional banks, telecom providers and tool marketers.

I utilize personal funds so far. We are yet to raise funds. No profit income as the program implementation is yet to commence.

We are seeking to raise $1.2m in the next six months (Aug 2020 - Feb 2021) through donations and grants. This will be the much needed startup funding for development of digital platform, development of training manuals, procurement of administrative equipment and tools, logistics, research funding, etc.

Additional $1.8m will be sought between April and August 2021 in forms of donations and grants as well as service pre-obtained charges from partnering banks and other partners. This will aid the scaling of the programme.

If funds become available we will intensify efforts on developing the digital platform, training manuals and partnership consultations. We will also mobilize for mass sensitization towards the program launch. For the period Sept-Dec 2020, our estimated budget stands at $400,000.

The Mission Billion WURI Challenge is a great opportunity for us to kickoff the iTAP scheme. 

Winning the challenge will be beneficial in raising some of the much needed starting capital.

Winning the challenge will also expose my team to Google Developers coaching which we very much need for a robust digital platform development.

Attending the pitching event at the World Bank General meeting will also boost my morale and provide leverage for outstanding performance on the program implementation.

Proposed partnerships are aimed at assisting us with funding support for commencement of the program and digital platform development. Though we can recruit competent hands to develop the technology, we will require funding or possibly have the partnering organization to develop the digital platform.

We also need collaborations from some government agencies like the National Board for Technical Education in Nigeria and other regional bodies for testing, certification, etc.

Savings contributions will be done via bank transfers and telecom deductions. Therefore we will require partnerships with these providers in that aspect.

We would like to partner with the following organizations:

• The World Bank Group (for funding support)
• Google (for platform development support)
• DFID (for funding support)
• Facebook, Google (for facilitation & funding of training on digital marketing among millons of prospective program participants)
• USAID (for funding support)
• UNIDO (for funding and resource support)
• European Union (for funding support)
• African Development Bank (for funding support)
• United Bank for Africa (for savings and loans scheme for participants)
• Ecobank (same as above)
• Trade Union Congress (for compliance and development of training manuals)
• National Board for Technical Education (for testing and certification of apprentices)
• Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (for business development facilitation and incentives for skilled persons)
• PayStack (to facilitate savings collection)
• MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile (for USSD facilitation, mobile number integration and airtime-to-savings collaborations)