FG empowers The Polytechnic, Ibadan, to bridge vocational skills gap
By Ibukun Emiola
The Federal Government through the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) has empowered The Polytechnic, Ibadan (TPI), to train students and individuals in vocational skills, to bridge the skills gap.
The initiative is in collaboration with UNESCO.
The Director, TPI, Skills Development Centre (SDC), Mr Wakeel Bolaji, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ibadan.
Bolaji, an engineer, said that it has become mandatory for all National Diploma (ND) 2 students to acquire the National Skill Qualification (NSQ).
He explained that ND 2 students would graduate from the institution with dual qualifications.
“Thus, for a student that comes to The Polytechnic Ibadan for ND in a particular subject course area, he also has the opportunity of undergoing this particular skill training, which is competence-based.
“Students would be awarded with dual core subjects and qualifications; the ND and also NSQ certificates.
“The NSQ is a work-related competence-based qualification with skills, assessed at both the training centre and workplace.
“Its certificate is to be awarded and certified by the NBTE through the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), the awarding bodies and UNESCO.
“This can be tendered for skill jobs anywhere in the world,” Bolaji said.
He said that the intention of the present administration was to bridge the existing skills gap, with emphasis on skills and not only acquisition of degree certificates.
Bolaji, a Quality Assurance Assessor (QAA), noted that The Polytechnic, Ibadan, had put plans in place for the training to commence in the 2024/2025 academic session.
“So, we are just starting off this particular semester and we are to collaborate with the MasterCraft professionals that are outside.
“Some of those MasterCraft professionals are also interested in coming for this particular training,” the director said.
He said that The Polytechnic, Ibadan, was given two additional trade areas, with the initial three trades approved for the institution and all the pilot centres, making it five trade areas.
“Presently the five trade areas as approved for The Polytechnic, Ibadan SDC, are Automobile Repairs, Electrical Installation, Carpentry and Joinery, Masonry, Welding and Fabrication.
“This also includes any trade area of interest enrolled as contained in the NBTE-NSQF booklet.
“The programme is 80 per cent practical training and it takes place at the institution’s workshops and trade centres, or workplaces of Mastercraft persons.
“But it has been structured such that it would not affect the normal academic activities of students, mostly in the evening.
“The skills development centre is for empowering individuals with adequate and global standard skills sets and there are no entry requirements,” Bolaji said.
The Centre Manager, TPI, SDC, Mr Akeem Babatunde, said the present situation in the country called for individuals to learn a trade, regardless of their careers or professions.
Babatunde, who is also a QAA, said being a Quality Assurance Assessor had become a prerequisite for promotion in the Nigerian polytechnics.
“If you are going from senior lecturer to principal lecturer, you must have it.
“It is a condition now for promotion in Oyo. Yes, in every state establishment, especially in engineering, you can check it out.
“Importantly, the Federal Government is focusing on mastercraft professionalism, so that we can boost our economy.
“We were able to access N40 million for training and consumables, to carry out this mandate.
“We have competent faculties and the NSQ framework is the curriculum we are following,” Babatunde said.
He said acquiring the NSQ would eliminate quackery and upskill artisans to take up jobs given to foreigners, who also hold the NSQ certificates, and were paid in foreign currency in Nigeria. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Bayo Sekoni
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