The National Directorate of Employment has trained 700 unemployed graduates across the federation under its Solar Energy Training Scheme in the last three months.

The Director General of NDE, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed, disclosed this in Calabar, Cross River State, on Wednesday during the graduation ceremony of 20 unemployed graduates who underwent training in solar energy.

Mohammed, who was represented by the Director of NDE, South-South Zone, Mr. Joseph Ekpenyong, said the 700 youths were trained in the design, procurement, installation and maintenance of solar energy equipment and others.

He said the training was to harvest solar energy equipment for electricity generation and to engage unemployed graduates in meaningful activities that would make them self reliant.

“Today, a total number of 700 unemployed graduates across the federation have been successfully trained in the design, procurement, installation and maintenance of solar energy equipment.

“The NDE is poised, more than ever before to implement the Federal Government’s employment agenda and programme to its fullest.

“The graduands should not take advantage of the skills acquired only for self employment, but become vibrant employers of labour that will affect this generation,” he said.

The state NDE Coordinator, Mr. Edem Duke, said that SETS was one of the innovative scheme of NDE initiated to reduce unemployment among the graduates.

Duke said that the solar energy training was important because power supply has remained one of the greatest challenges in the country.

He added that it was essential to train unemployed graduates to acquire solar skills and be self-reliant.

“As you go out to the labour market, I implore you to remain focus and to learn more about the trade by exploring the internet, reading journals and literature on the subject,” he said.