Vocational, technical education, solution to unemployment— SUBEB chair
By Saheed Ibrahim
|
The Chairman of SUBEB in Ondo state, Mr. Victor Olabimtan, has identified vocational and technical education as the solution to the country’s unemployment challenge.
Olabimtan, who stated this while speaking during a symposium organised for youths and students in Akungba Akoko, titled “Reducing Youth Unemployment through Technical and Vocational Skills”, said skill acquisition programmes would help to reduce youth unemployment in the country.
The former Speaker, who attributed the surge in crime rate and anti-social activities to unemployment, reiterated the need to pay more attention to skill acquisition as the solution to the nation’s problem of unemployment.
Olabimtan noted that unemployment has become a major problem bedevilling Nigerian youths, causing violent crimes, kidnappings, unrest and socially delinquent behaviour, saying this is devastating to both the individual and the society, psychologically and economically
He maintained that vocational training and skills acquisition in some schools will undoubtedly reduce unemployment and joblessness.
He however, said: “in order to reduce the level of unemployment in Nigeria, greater emphasis must be placed on skills acquisition through Technical and Vocational Education (TVE).
“No meaningful youth employment programme can be achieved without an efficient and effective Technical and Vocational Education programme. The promotion of Technical and Vocational Education programmes will lead to wealth creation, employment generation and sustainable livelihood.
“The primary objective of all Technical and Vocational Education programmes is the acquisition of skills and attitudes for gainful employment in a specific occupation or professional area.
He said technical and vocational education and training must play an active and vital role for a country to evolve into a technologically advanced one.
“Technical and vocational education does not only make you employable, but it also prepares you as a business owner and employer of labour,” he stated.