Where is Nigeria
in the long history of vocational and technical education? While career education has
continued to thrive in many societies, it is unfortunately an area that is
neglected in Nigeria a. No wondered why things are not working as they should
in Nigeria! The neglect of vocational
education is rubbing the nation of the contribution their graduate would make
on the economy; the graduates could establish small –scale businesses and employ the youths that roam the streets. It is, therefore, socially injurious
to neglect this important area or look down on its graduates. the society need competent auto mechanics and truck drivers,
carpenters, plumbers,
electrons and computers, database, web
and network technicians, bookkeepers, and clerks, medical technicians and
nursing assistants (and other personnel in
this category) to function well.
These are some of the skills in short supply in
Nigeria. The half –baked roadside
mechanics in the society often cause
more damages to vehicles when they are contracted to service them.
And because of poor training some
of the commercial drivers on the road and
nurses assistants in the hospitals have sent many people to their early
death. Given these facts, it is a disservice to the society to neglect
vocational education. The
current preoccupation with university education in Nigeria is counterproductive, as not everyone needs
a university education. It also reduces
economic opportunities for students who
are more oriented toward work
than academic
Millions of
Nigerian youths are n secondary (high
) school, but some of them would not graduate. They
could drop out along the way and others would not go beyond high school. Because of paucity of
data, it is difficult to put a figure on high school dropout rates in Nigeria, but is suffices to say that the graduation rate is not impressive
(specially the boys for some reasons). Given the general neglect of
education and the resultant frequent l strike actions, etc many of those who
enter the university may not obtain a
degree, because post –secondary education could drag out for
years. But who would employ them if
everyone became a university
graduate? Would the needs
of the society be met?
Nigeria needs competent technicians
to maintain its infrastructure-
NEPA plants and telephone circuits and
lines, roads and bridges, etc. in many societies, graduates of
vocational and technical institutions are highly skilled
entrepreneurs, but the society does
not seem to encourage the youth to take this route. Unfortunately, those
who influence education policy in the
society (legislators, educators, the
media, etc) appear to feel that
graduates of technical / vocational institutions are not equal to university graduates. This
attitude reflects on the employers
preference for regular university graduates and the pay disparity between vocational/technical and university graduates
The neglect
of technical and vocational education may
have contributed to the high
unemployment and rising poverty among
the youth because many of them lack the basic job skills. They are
struggling with the challenge of acquiring “
employability” skills because the society is focused mostly on formal university education . But investment in skill training and trade schools is a
worthwhile social investment. The
graduates would become small business owners and employer of labour;
this is the case in many
societieis where small businesses are the highest employers of labor. High school students in Nigerian should be
made to gain knowledge of workplace
culture and values along with general
education competency. This would provide them a variety of skills to manage
small –scale businesses and to
gain employment after graduation. The current social and economic
changes in the world have altered the conditions and structure of employment and employers now require
their employees to posses some technical skills. those who could not go beyond
elementary school (high school/ university graduates who lack job
skills) are facing enormous challenges
because they are unqualified to secure a decent job
That is why the
introduction of enterprannel sure
acquisition is a welcome programme. it has been well documented that Nigeria
higher institutions (due to many years of neglect ) alack the tools to give
students the skill employers need, and
this situation seems to apply to graduates in all disciplines.
there should therefore be some form of
genuine school –work –based learning
incorporated in some studies as part of the national economic development
strategies. the development
of apprenticeship scheme would give new
graduates some work skills and experience. Thus university education should
encompass economic, educational, and social objectives.
One possible
approach to reverse this trend would be to increase funding for technical and
vocational education and make it
affordable to enable the youths
acquire the necessary skills for jobs
and self-employment. As a policy, high
schools in every local
government areas should be made
to set up technical and vocational center where the youths could learn some trade. Some
of the so- called “expatriate engineers”
who are being aphid unimaginable amount of dollars to build the roads
and bridges in Nigeria l are graduates of technical and vocational colleges, yet, Nigeria looks
down on her graduates of vocational and technical education! Perhaps, this is
one of the main reasons for the low
interest in technical schools. As the vanguard of No 25 , 2004
noted, about one percent (1%) of the resources (if not less) for secondary education is channeled towards technical and vocational
skills in the country.
RELEVANCE OF
TEVE
Nigeria youths a
facing myrid challenges in terms of sustainable employment, poverty
alleviation, war against social vices and economic emancipation/empowerment.
This Myrid of problems can only be solved by the TVE relution expressed below:
SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT
WAR AGAINST SOCIAL VICES
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND EMANCIPATION