Importance of vocational education

The rate of unemployment among youths has increased tremendously in the last decade. Most young people from the university lack the needed skills and competencies that would enable them function in today’s emerging society.

Bridging the vocational skills gap remains a major challenge faced by many, especially young adults in Nigeria. Vocational education and training is designed to educate youths and adults with the right skills needed to survive in the ever-changing labour market. The narrative of the basic academic education is gradually changing from basic paper credentials to skill-based qualifications which can be applied to specific skills required in the workplace.

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The state of vocational education in Nigeria calls for urgent attention. The Nigerian educational system requires urgent, innovative and practical reforms to bring it in line with international best practice and importantly, better equip the young people of this country to handle the never-ending demands of the 21st century.

Vocational education needs to be integrated into the school curriculum as this will equip students with the practical skills needed for lifelong learning. Vocational training should be taught to children from an early age. That way, they can imbibe and nurture the expertise as they grow.

Vocational, entrepreneurship or skill acquisition programmes, as they are called , include cooking and baking, photography, video editing, hair styling and making, musical instruments training, cobbling, make-up and gele tying, carpentry, painting, plumbing, among others.The society understands the importance of education for personal and collective development and as a tool for the reduction of poverty and improvement in the living standards of people living in Nigeria.

For vocational education to survive in Nigeria, teaching and learning must take place in an environment where all the necessary tools, machines, equipment and facilities are in place.

Government, educational administrators and other stakeholders are therefore called upon to invest massively and urgently in integrated approaches to developing the educational system, as this will ultimately lead to building a better workforce and thus boost the development of the economy.

Daniel Ighakpe,

Lagos.