NBTE, Polytechnics to roll out vocational skills training

Maryam Abeeb

Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says the board is working with polytechnics to roll out different vocational skills training to address youth unemployment.

Bugaje made this known at a news conference in Kaduna, to commemorate the 2021 World Youth Skills Day, with the theme: “Reimaging Youth Skills Post-Pandemic”.

According to him, the theme is mainly selected to assess the situation of young people regarding skills and work during and after COVID-19 Pandemic.

He attributed the protracted insecurity in the country to the high level of unemployment among youths, adding that the solution was empowering youths with vocational skills for decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

Bugaje said that the different vocational skills training would be introduced by the polytechnics based on the available industries in the area the schools were located.

He said that the board was equally working with the polytechnics to engage the informal sector providing skills training such that the trainees would be certified in line with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).

“The NSQF is a system for the development, classification and recognition of skills, knowledge and competence acquired by individuals, irrespective of where and how the training or skill is acquired.

“Kaduna Polytechnic has already brought the Old Panteka Skills Market, Kaduna into its NSQF training programme and we are encouraging other polytechnics to do the same.

“This will formalise and certify the informal training being provided all over the country,” he said.

The NBTE boss called on the state governments to revive the technical colleges across the country that were abandoned three to four decades ago due to lack of trained teachers and equipment.

According to him, the colleges have the potential of producing the skills manpower needed for infrastructural development that will revive the economy.

“The technical colleges if revived, will not only empower Nigerian youths with skills but the youths will be certified under the globally accepted NSQF.

“We are, therefore, calling on all relevant stakeholders, the federal and state governments, the private sector and development partners to come together and find lasting solution to youth unemployment and insecurity through vocational skills.

“The Federal Government and the private sector are executing a lot of infrastructural projects across the country but sadly these interventions are being implemented with foreign skill labour at the expense of the Nigerian youths because they lack the requisite skills.

“There is the need, therefore, for government and the private sector to work toward pushing the skills agenda to provide the youths with functional vocational skills, otherwise, the end to insecurity may not be in sight.”