Skills
By Diana Omueza
Abuja, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) Mr Frank Nweke-Junior, the former Minister of Communication and Information, has called on the Federal Government to develop skills targeted at sustaining innovations and development.
He made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference organised by iCreate Skill Fest, organisers of technical and vocational skill competitions.
He said that the importance of skills development to bridge the skill gap and prepare the youth workforce for advancement of technical and vocational training in Nigeria could not be over emphasised.
“The high level of unemployment in the country can be ameliorated if government institutions recognise that technical and vocational skills are the bedrock for a thriving economy,’’ he said.
Also, the Chief Executive Officer, iCreate Skill Fest, Mr Bright JaJa, expressed optimism that a platform for youth to showcase technical and vocational skills would empower the youth to meet global standard.
Jaja observed that over the years, the government had invested considerable efforts on improving university education with insignificant attention paid to technical and vocational education.
He said that the dichotomy had reinforced the belief by teachers and parents that success was measured strictly by obtaining academic qualifications.
“This is the foundation of the problem of unemployment and employability that we have in Nigeria and we need a shift in mindset to change this.
“We live in a country where parents decide their children’s career path, where students with different learning abilities are compelled to learn in only one way and directed to a career path based on exam results,’’ he said.
Jaja agreed with Nweke-Junior that technical and vocational skills were the bedrock for a thriving economy and that its group would strive to influence the government to adopt policies that encourages vocational studies.
“We would try our best to encourage vocational studies and charge private sector to invest in setting up technical institutions around the country.
“We would change the paradigm thinking of parents, educators and legislators to understand that without a solid skills foundation in a country, companies, communities and the citizens cannot sustainably manage their developmental challenges,’’ said.
Jaja expressed optimism that the focus of the organisation would soon be on building a unified, credible, creative and innovative skilled workforce in Nigeria by creating a global call-to-action to prioritise skill education and training.
He said that the progress of a country was determined by the quality of its people, adding that Nigeria had one of the youngest populations in the world.
He said that the population could be of tremendous economic benefits, if the focus was on empowering young energetic minds to be more active and productive.
He noted that the iCreate Skill Fest 2018 edition would host a participation of 150 competitors across 17 skill sets, including tailoring, art, photography, web design, applications development and graphics design, among others.
iCreate Skill Fest is a project designed to serve as a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s high youth unemployment, skills shortage and industrialisation.
Participants described iCreate Skill Fest as Africa’s biggest vocational skills event, designed to create a conscious awareness of the importance of skills development while actively bridging the skills gap and preparing the youth workforce for the skills of the future.(NAN)
DOM/KAY
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Kayode Olaitan