By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
In order to produce graduates with the required skills to excel in the workplace, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), has began training programme for evaluators for the Outcome Based Education (OBE) system in Nigeria.
The two days training workshop which took place yesterday at the Nigerian Turkish, Nile University Abuja,drawn stakeholders across the country .
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme,the president COREN Engr . Ali Rabiu, said the workshop was to train and equip programme evaluators of the OBE who would form COREN database for accreditation of Engineering programmes.
Rabiu explained that,every aspect of the accreditation process have been streamlined to enhance the credibility of the evaluation.
He said, “In Nigeria, accreditation is necessary for recognition of programmes and registration of engineering graduates as professional engineers.
According to the president, OBE helps to empower a work force that can compete in the a global economy of the 21st century as it equips learners to transfer academic success to life in a complex, challenging and high -technology future.
“Under OBE approach,the graduates are completely prepared for the workforce after graduation with relevant soft skills needed in jobs, such as communication skills and human relationships skills”, Rabiu.
He emphasized that,the goal of the workshop is to train and equip programme evaluators of OBE who will form COREN database for accreditation of engineering programmes.
“Every aspect of the accreditation process has been streamlined to enhance the credibility of the evaluation. Contrary to earlier practice, there is no quantitative mechanism for final decision making.
Therefore, programmes under accreditation must sustainably comply with the requirements in all areas of evaluation.”
“Every action of the evaluators must be driven by responsibilities and conducts, according to the stipulated code of ethics for evaluation. Constituency amongst various accreditation team members in terms of evaluation and final recommendation must be maintained,”he said .
According to him, the COREN Outcome Based Education regional train the trainers workshop have been successfully held in three geopolitical zones, which includes; North West zone at Amadu Bello University, Zaria Kaduna (20th-24th of Sept 2021), South South zone at University of Benin, Edo State. 11th-15th of Oct 2021, and South East zone at University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC) (16th-20th Nov 2021).
The president said the workshop was to train participants to acquire the knowledge and skills of OBE, “and be able to train others in the principles and implementation of OBE in Nigerian Universities.”
