#Features

Why youths should embrace vocational skills

By Maria Famakinwa

 

Before the advent of the colonial masters and introduction of western education, skills acquisition was the order of the day in Nigeria.
Then, it was paramount for every child to learn at least a skill, which made them all-round being and prepared them for the challenges ahead. No wonder children born generation back were physically strong, more creative and versatile, utilizing the acquired skills to adjust to any situation they found themselves.
The same cannot be said of today’s children who mostly regard skill acquisitions as barbaric. Nigerian youth today would rather prefer having different academic certificates than thinking of acquiring a skill. To them, spending a year or two to learn fashion designing, barbing, hair making affect their self worth and waste their time. They rather prefer searching for unavailable jobs for years than creating one. As the rate of unemployment continues to rise yearly, concerned citizens have been calling on government to do all it can to make skill acquisition more attractive to the youth.
A teacher, Mrs Bunmi Onifade, explained that of a truth, education empowers, enlightens and that an educated person have an edge over the uneducated in areas of self expression, speaking, writing, being able to document ideas, getting information easily and socialises better but asked, ”What will an educated youth fall back on in a country like ours where the available jobs are not equivalent to the number of graduates being churned out into the society yearly? The fact is that it is just a little percentage of graduates who are connected that get the jobs. Some get jobs with ridiculously low monthly wages that cannot take them through the month, which make it impossible for them to make any saving not to talk of being able to assist their families.
“As a matter of fact, many graduates roam the streets in endless search for jobs with some frustrated and resorting to armed robbery, internet scam, money rituals and all manner of vices. That is why most parents and even the government are calling on the youths to learn a skill instead of focusing on just getting an academic qualification since combining skill with education has been seen to give one leverage over others.”
Another teacher, Mr Yomi Okunola, who is training people on how to make different detergents hinted that he has been sustaining his family from the proceed he made from the sales since March when the lockdown that resulted into closure of schools started.
Okunola who explained further that the reason why many technicians earns more than some university graduates was because they acquired more practical skills than the theories taught in higher institutions, urged youth to embrace fashion designing, graphic designing, hair dressing, carpentry, electrical maintenance among others.
The teacher who observed that lack of skill is a major cause of corruption in the country advised youth to get additional skills aside education to weather the storm of life and create better opportunity for themselves because according to him, learning a skill helps one to be self reliance. His words,” Skill acquisition helps youth to be self-employed instead of over dependence on unavailable white colar jobs. When one is self sufficient, it will help to fight corruption and reduce crime rate.
”Whatever the skill, attitudes, competencies, knowledge and understanding one acquires, will enhance the development of the individual and the nation. One of the goals of education is the acquisition of appropriate skills and the development of mental, physical and social abilities and competencies as equipment for the individual to live and contribute to the development of the society.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, an entrepreneur, Mr Dele Oluwole, explained that despite the steps taken to convinced youth nowadays to embrace skills, most of them are still not considering the option as a good one that can earn them a better living in the future. ”Nigerian youths are still left floating with most believing that formal education is better than skill acquisitions. Take for instance, the unexpected outbreak of coronavirus that has since prevented students to attend classes since April, makes the few ones among them who have acquired one skill or the other to be busy at this time.
The man who wondered why youth like to spend money on expensive mobile phones without thinking of how to create wealth of their own charged parents to make it compulsory for their children to learn skills instead of thinking that they will get government jobs. He also appealed to government to give more importance to skill acquisition and less to certificate to encourage students to take up skills of their interests.
”My landlord’s son is a student of Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), yet, he is a fashion designer, in fact, most of his customers are the students and staff of the university. The parents do not have to worry about his tuition fees again because he is capable. When I discover this, I force my children into learning skills and I want to advice other parents to encourage their children to have alternatives to their education.
”The major cause of unemployment among our vibrant youths today is due to lack of skill to back up what they learnt from their institutions. When graduates learn skills, the society will be better for it. Skill acquisition remains the tool for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger with the aim of paving way for employment and creating an avenue for jobs and wealth creation that will bring about self development and contributing to the economic growth in the country.”
A parent, Mrs Oluwole, hinted that for vocational skills to be attractive to our youth, government must include it in the primary school curriculum and make it compulsory for all students. ”When I was a student in the 60s, vocational skill was compulsory for all students and there was a special mark attached to it. That was why farming was common then. Both young and old knew the importance of agriculture to a nation’s building and students were taught to embrace farming.
”For today’s youth to embrace vocational skills, Federal and State Governments have an important role to play. Let us start developing students interest in vocational skills from primary schools, this will enable them to develop interest in any skill of their choices and by the time they complete their university education, they will have something to sustain themselves in the absence of government jobs. Parents also should support this lofty idea by encouraging their children to embrace vocational skills for self enhancement.”
Master Oluwatobi Rasak, a student, in his submission, revealed that colonial mentality of placing white colar jobs above skill acquisition is affecting many students to consider acquiring skills as the right way to go, more so that the country lay more emphasis on paper certificate. He said,” Most of us do not consider acquiring skills as an option because the country place more emphasis on paper certificate. How many of our leaders’ children are into learning soap making, shoe making, fashion designing and the rest? What they do is to send their children abroad for better education. If truly skill acquisition is the way out, their children would have been seeing enrolling for it. They only talk about skill acquisition to cajole the poor masses into accepting it as the best option while they fix their children in the few available jobs. If skill acquisition is the way out, let it start from our leaders’ children.’’

Share
Related News  Towards peaceful parties' primaries
Why youths should  embrace vocational skills

Teenager gang-raped in Ose

Why youths should  embrace vocational skills

Sunshine Stars to get new coach, Dogo

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *