Nigerian graduates enjoined to engage in vocational training to reduce unemployment

Nigerians graduates have been charged to engage themselves in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to reduce unemployment in the country.

A Professor of Industrial Technology Education,at the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna,in Niger State, Prof. Emmanuel Raymond gave the charge at the 131st Inaugural lecture held at the 1000 seater capacity auditorium,at the main Campus, Gidan Kwano, Minna

He explained that technical and vocation education training, (TVET), is focused on providing knowledge and skills for employment and sustainable livelihoods stating that without the technical and vocation education,job creation yields employment without a capable workforce to sustain it.

According to him,the process of generating employment opportunities that offer sustainable incomes and contribute to economic growth, adding that without job creation,TVET is a sterile process producing frustrated,unutilized graduates.

The 131st Inaugural lecture with the theme: the Marriage between TVET And Job Creation: Let no Man Put Assunder,stressed that TVET is the ‘bride’ bringing skills and competence job creation is the groom that provide economic opportunities, government,industries and educational institutions are the “marriage witnesses” and industrial partnerships is the “ marital covenant”

Prof. Raymond challenged Nigerian graduates to engage in meaningful skill acquisition that will enable them to be job creators rather than job seekers, noting that the era in which graduates will go about seeking for white collar jobs is gone.

He noted that the white collar job is already saturated which according to him the only available job in the country “today is technical and vocational skills which will bring food to your dining room. If you think as a graduate looking for white collar job you are making a big mistake. The only available job now is technical and vocational skills”

The Professor of Industrial and technology education then admonished Nigeria graduates to embrace technical and vocations related ventures that will make them employers of labour rather than go about seeking a job.

Speaking earlier,the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology (FUT),Minna Prof. Farouk Adamu Kuta commended the inaugural lecturer for the lecture describing the theme as apt.

He described Prof. Raymond Emmanuel as a seasoned academician who has impacted his ocean of knowledge on the University community.

Prof. Adamu Kuta, while appealing to Nigerian graduates,to embrace skill acquisition for self-reliance he pointed out that this will support them to be employers of labour through technical and vocation education.