Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has emphasised the urgent need to massively invest in vocational education in order to tackle the rising wave of unemployment in Nigeria.
He made this known during the South East and South South Interregional technical and vocational education and training (TVET) forum organised by the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), Enugu State chapter with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), yesterday.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the need for technical and vocational education is not only relevant but also responsive in the labour market demand, which has become even more critical to addressing the challenges of youth unemployment in the country.
“Across the regions, there is a growing recognition that traditional academic pathways alone cannot address the employment needs of our growing youth population,” he said.
Governor Mbah said that the theme of the summit, “From Classroom to Careers: Revolutionising Technical Education for Regional Prosperity,” is both critical and timely, especially given the growing rate of youth unemployment across the nation.
“In Enugu State, we are committed to technical education and we have since embarked on the construction of technical schools across the three federal constituencies in the state,” further pointing at the ongoing construction of modern Government Technical College, which will have world-class facilities on completion.
Delivering a keynote address, Director of the Catholic Institute of Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), Enugu, Prof. Obiora Ike said that every year, thousands of students who graduate from universities are not assured of jobs because they do not have on-demand skills that they need to be productive in the labour market.
He regretted that while there has been too much talk about technical education, there has been less action, noting that we must “reimagine how we prepare our youths for the work ahead by bridging the gap between education and industry.”
He lauded the state government for its strong commitment in matching words with action in the education sector, saying the interregional cooperation would foster shared knowledge and support technical and vocational skills’ acquisition among the nation’s growing young population.
On her part, the Executive Chairman of STVSMB, Dr Amaka Ngene, urged participants to engage meaningfully, share experiences and forge partnerships that would drive meaningful change and economic prosperity across the regions.
“We hope that the forum will strengthen collaboration, drive innovation and shape policy reforms in technical and vocational education. We are united to bridge the gap between technical and vocational education and the labour market,” she added.