ABOUT THE CENTRE
INTER-FAITH YOUTH VOCATIONAL CENTRE BOKKOS
The Inter-faith Youth Vocational Training Centre was established in the Archdiocese of Jos through the initiative of His Grace, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama. The Centre serves as a vocational centre for the training of youths in Plateau State. This initiative is meant to help reduce the joblessness among young people thereby reducing youth restiveness which contributes to the incessant crises that have affected many parts of Plateau State since 2001. The Centre was established to bring together youths from all over plateau state, with special emphasis on involving Muslim and Christian youths.
The youths in the centre receive training in vocational skills, primarily wood work and are also being trained in dialogue and peaceful coexistence since they are boarded in the same environment.
Training activities started on the Centre on 1st March 2010 and today many successes have been achieved. The school has successfully graduated four sets of trainees who are presently engaged in different activities around the state. Most of those who have been trained have started their own furniture workshops.
With the creation of Pankshin diocese, the Inter-faith Centre is now within the jurisdiction of the bishop of Pankshin. There is an understanding among the three dioceses in Plateau state namely: Jos, Pankshin and Shendam that the interfaith centre will be owned by the three dioceses but under the direct supervision of the Local Ordinary of Pankshin Diocese; Most Rev. Dr. Michael Gobal Gokum.
The Centre admits and accommodates youths who are rural and disadvantaged in the society. These youths most of have acquired just the primary or the basic formal education. These youths who are disadvantaged socially, educationally and economically are easily used as tugs by sponsors of social and political crises to perpetuate their selfish objective.
The trainees of this Centre are trained for a period of two years. The centre plans to introduce two additional trades (metal work and electrical work) in addition to the wood work which has been the only trade in the centre.
The criteria for admission are young people who are single and most attend at least the age of seventeen (17). This would enable them become adults before graduation.
