Assessing The Contribution Of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) In Manpower Development

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A few years ago the concept of training and employee development was very equally understood in most developing countries. Today, thing are very dynamic that many developing countries are even developed ones have come to appreciate the benefits of employee development and training
Yesufu (1969) argued that the basic problem of developing countries is not lack of natural resources but the under development their human resources. In a similar perspective the Ashby report of 1959 showed that manpower resources in the third would countries is under developed and following its recommendation, the national manpower board was established in 1962.
As a follow-up the manpower board in 1963 undertook comprehensive manpower survey which drew the attention of government to the following
(a) The low quantity management in all level as one of the major problems of economic development.

(b) The need for effective co-ordination to avoid unnecessary duplication of effect in manpower training.

(c) The need to ensure that training programmes effect the frequency, level and used of the economy.

Centre for management education and training Mimeograph (1973)
In 1969, the international labour organization also re-emphasized this in adequacy of manpower development programmes in Nigeria for her to carryout her economic development plans In addition the civil war of 1967-1970 caused a structural dysfunction of the economy So there is the need to rehabilitate the tremendous economic social and industrial set back of the civil war both in the private and public sector of the economy Yesufu (1963)stated that these economic rehabilitation require developed technical, vocational and professional manpower training.
The second national development plan (1970) also limited that there is lack of employment of Nigeria in high level position in our industries and it identified the following factors as hindering their recruitment to high level position.
(a) Inadequate Management training.
(b) Poor quality of subordinate employer.
(c) Inadequate of educational and professional requirement.
(d) Inadequate experience.
Inspite of these poor quality and quantity of skill manpower (Yesufu:1969), reported that employers have the need to train their workers for high productivity and efficiency of their work.
Accordingly, the federal government created the industrial training fund (ITF) in 8th October 1971 by decree No 47. Its main objective according to Dikko (1978) is to promote and encourage the acquisition skills in industries with a view of generating a pool of ingenious training manpower sufficient to meet the development needs of economy. The decree also changed the governing council of the body to utilized all contribution made to it by employers of labour and subvention from government to encourage and promote the acquisition of skill in industries and commerce.
To these effects, the industrial training fund became one of the bodies changed with the task of articulating the training of industrial manpower of the company. In this respect, it will be of interest to investigate the impact of its training programmes in manpower development in the country.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
As indicated before that, the setting the Industrial Training fund has the central objective of the promoting and encouraging the acquisition of skill in industry and commerce. In essence, industrial training is expected to help in providing high quality personnel to manpower industry and commerce. So far, we have no way of knowing what has been achieved. Industrial training fund and manpower development in Nigeria (1989) in its bulletin, claimed to have done a lot to have meet the manpower need of our economy but complain cooperation employers of labour who need the training remain a matter of speculation.
On the other hand, employers of labour criticized the fund adversely. They claimed that have not benefited from industrial training fund. They argued that, the courses approved by ITF are general and met specific to the individual and employers needs.
As of now, we have no hard facts on the picture of things. Is the industrial training fund helpful? Is it not? What is the quality of industrial training fund programmes? This study is intended to contribute towards answering these questions.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study would investigate the activities of industrial training fund with a view of knowing the roles of its training programmes, in manpower development in the country. It would if there is justification for the criticisms being leveled on the industrial training fund by employer of labour which have adversely affected their cooperation with industrial training fund.

In view of the above, the purpose of the study are:
(1) To find out whether industrial training fund needs of contributing companies adequately.
(2) To identify the kinds of training programmes offered by industrial training fund to the employers labour.
(3) To identify the problem facing the organization.
(4) To find out how industrial training fund affect the work performance of participant.
(5) To find out how trainees of industrial training fund adjust their work after training.

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study covers industrial training fund as an institution established to organize industrial training in Nigeria. Industrial training fund has its headquarters in Jos with 22 area offices all over the federation, although efforts are geared to establishing area offices in each of the states in Nigeria.
Comprehensive information about the policy of the institution would be gathered from the headquarters. Since the area office run a similar programmes and the same objectives as directed by Jos headquarters, a sample study of Emene area office would be made employers of labour who contribute to industrial training fund in the Emene area office would be sample.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(1) Are the training programmes of the industrial training funds adequate for manpower requirements?
(2) Is there improvement in the job performance of employees after the industrial training?
(3) What are the roles of the industrial training fund in industrial development?
(4) Has industrial training fund increased the manpower needs of the nation?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
HYPOTHESIS 1
Null hypothesis (Ho): The training programmes of industrial training fund are not adequate for the industrial training requirements of the contributing companies.
Alternative hypothesis (H1): The training programmes of industrial training fund are adequate for industrial training requirement of the contributing companies.
HYPOTHESIS 2
Null Hypothesis (HO): There is no significant improvement in job performance of employees after training session with industrial training fund.
Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is significant improvement in job performance of employees after training session with industrial training fund.

1.7 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY
The important of this present study can easily be seen. Principally, the out come of the study will be of immense important to employers to know the quality of the training programmes offered by industrial training fund.
It will be of important to government who established the scheme since 1971, in knowing how the fund has been fairing and know where to make amends.
It will also enable the non –members of industrial training. Fund to know the skill content of the fund and decide whether to use it or not.
In the same manners, it will put interested parties in a better position to ascertain whether the fund is alive to the objective (in raising skilled manpower for industry and commerce) in which it was set up.
Finally, the analysis may as a catalyst in finding remedies to the operational problem of the fund.