THE Federal Government is uncomfortable with the widening gap and mismatch between the quality of graduates from Nigerian universities as well as other tertiary institutions and the actual needs of the industries.
It was for this reason that the Federal Ministry of Education recently assembled stakeholders in the education sector to brainstorm on how to overcome the challenge.
The Director of Technology and Science Education in the ministry, Mr Joel Ojo, in his opening address at a workshop on the skills gap in the Nigerian educational system and development of a training plan for teachers and laboratory technicians, said government was worried by the inability of many students to fit into work places owing to the lack of the necessary soft skills required of them to perform.
Ojo noted that the percentage of unemployed graduates increased yearly due to mismatch between what was offered in institutions of learning and the labour market demand.
Represented by the deputy director, vocational education, Mr Emmanuel Ocheja, Ojo said that the stakeholders’ workshop would, among other things, identify the mismatch and develop a national plan for continuous professional development of teachers and laboratory technicians as well as identify sources of funding for these activities.
He noted with dismay that unlike the advanced countries, Nigeria has not approved Continuous Professional Development (CPD), even though it is recommended that all serving teachers should undergo at least 100hours CPD each year.
Various paper presenters at the workshop identified causes of skills gap basically to include: poor quality teaching, obsolete equipment, input and students’ teacher ratio, noting that the students eventually graduate with deficiency in critical areas such as communication, technical competence, and analytical skills for problem solving.
Professor Bolanle Oni of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, in his paper further noted that graduates deficiency means that they would exhibit lack of integrity, self-discipline, social value and ethics.
He observed that one of the greatest strengths of a nation is the size of its skilled population; noting that while most countries without commodities for export are now relying on their human capital for sustenance, under-developed nations export their resources, unprocessed, thereby attracting inappropriate resources.
The deputy director in charge of science education in the ministry, Mrs Grace Takerhi, cited lack of enough access to institutions that provide the education and training, weak linkages between educational institutions and industries, poor perception of TVE (technical and vocational education) as well as recruitment pattern in the industries which requires experienced professionals with years of experience as major issues.
The registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Professor, Josiah Ajiboye, commended the decision to organise the workshop, saying it was long overdue.
He stressed that all over the world, stakeholders come together regularly to discuss skills gap, and that it is important that proper analysis is made of teachers’ capacity in their various subjects in relation to their ability to teach those subjects.
In the same vein, assistant director of engineering, Federal Ministry of Industries, Mr John Aboje, dwelt on the need for regular training for teachers and the laboratory technicians, and urged government to make adequate budgetary provisions; take advantage of funding opportunities by some international organisations and other partners to implement activities aimed at closing the gaps.
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