Education industry professionals have said that investment in vocational education plays a significant role in spurring productivity in the next generation leaders.
They observe that a lot has been written and said about the problems plaguing the nation’s educational system over the years, but what might not be getting so much attention is the role that vocational training plays in boosting youth employment in the long run.
While statistics reveal that the population of students in tertiary institutions across the country is on the increase, there is however no corresponding embrace of vocational training, a situation which is triggering a rise in Nigeria’s unemployment and crime rates.
Industry close watchers argue that the country must, as a matter of urgency, give the needed attention to Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), adding that in addressing failing sectors of Nigeria’s economy, government must not neglect vocational and technical education.
Matthew Ozoemena, an education analyst, observes that skills development is a vehicle for attaining sustainable development. “A skilled man is employable. VTE makes a man employable; an educated man who lacks skill has no advantage over an uneducated man. VTE is indispensable if Nigeria is to make meaningful progress in local technology, which can be a source of revenue for the country”, he said.
Ozoemena added that the National Policy on Education should be reviewed to address the stigmatisation associated with vocational institutions.
“The policy should provide for VTE to be run as an educational programme in which students will start at a basic level and terminate at senior level, equivalent to senior secondary school. Students from vocational and technical colleges can then be admitted into universities or colleges of technology to study in VTE areas necessary to advance Nigeria’s technological base”, he said.
Despite the difficulties that VTE faces in the country, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) realized the value because of the skills it provides for graduate employ ability, Ezendu Nwokocha, a research fellow observed.
He further added that to achieve this, the curriculum of technical schools should have content that enables the learner in VTE to solve problems encountered in their immediate environment. It should be formulated in such a manner that familiar learning content that address real life situations can be addressed noting that this will help the students to apply the content to their own real life situation.
Nwokocha however noted that adequate facilities that are relevant to delivering the learning content and working in the present time should be provided. “Without facilities, there will be a disconnect between the learning content in the classroom and real situations that exist in work places. Without facilities, teaching will be all about theorising. This should be discouraged in VTE for relevant problem-solving skills to be acquired in the end”, he said.
To him, Teachers and administrators in VTE programmes need to be high quality personnel, possessing relevant qualifications for teaching in VTE. Teachers in VTE should be good in their course areas and possess the ability to deliver their course content to learners in various areas.
“It is a fact that the quality of an educational system is as good as the quality of its teachers. Recruitment and placement of teachers and administrators in VTE should not be done in a manner comparable to putting a square peg in a round hole. The need arises for quality assurance in teacher preparation programmes in VTE” he added.
He further urged that VTE needs to have its pride of place in Nigeria to move the country up the technology ladder among other nations of the world.
