By Taiye Olayemi
Stakeholders across various sectors have called for stronger collaboration among industry, academia and government to address the widening skills gap among graduates, especially in technical and engineering fields.
The call was made during a virtual pre-conference workshop on industry-academia synergy organised by Maranatha University in collaboration with MSME Business Solutions.
Speaking at the session, the Managing Director of Topek Engineering and Consultancy Services Ltd., Mr Ayodeji Kunmi, said the education system places too much emphasis on theory at the expense of practical workplace skills.
Kunmi said many graduates focus on office-based jobs while opportunities in technical and field operations remain largely untapped.
“Most graduates focus on theoretical knowledge and office jobs, whereas the real demand in sectors like engineering is for technicians and field engineers,” he said.
Kunmi noted that in many advanced economies, skilled professionals without university degrees excel through technical competence and practical experience.
“We work with partners abroad where some field engineers, with only diplomas, have over 30 years of experience and perform excellently. That practical exposure is what we are lacking,” he said.
Kunmi attributed the challenge to declining attention to technical education and societal preference for university degrees over vocational qualifications.
“Technical institutions meant to produce skilled manpower are no longer as functional, and this has created a gap between academic training and industry needs,” he said.
Kunmi stressed the need for structured industrial training and stronger monitoring of students during internships.
According to him, government should enforce policies compelling industries to actively participate in training students.
Kunmi also identified deficiencies in safety standards, project management, risk assessment and quality control among graduates.
“These competencies are critical in the industry but are not adequately taught in institutions. We need practical project planning, monitoring and reporting embedded in the curriculum,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Odunayo Salau, Senior Lecturer, Employment Relations and HRM, Olabisi Onabanjo University, said many academic research projects remain theoretical and fail to address practical challenges.
“The problem is that many research projects remain as papers and are not tested in real-life situations. They neither solve problems nor create wealth,” he said.
Salau advocated stronger collaboration between universities and industry players, alongside the establishment of innovation and incubation centres in tertiary institutions.
The Deputy Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, Babcock University, Prof. Emmanuel Ajike, called for frequent curriculum reviews to reflect rapid technological changes.
“Curriculum should be reviewed every two years, not five or 10 years, because the world is evolving too fast,” he said.
Ajike recommended a balanced academic structure combining theory, practical learning and industry engagement.
Head of Research and Development, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Dr Bennett Eze, said stronger industry-academia partnerships would help align curricula with labour market demands.
According to him, such collaboration will promote practical research, innovation, economic diversification and job creation.
The workshop formed part of activities leading to the university’s main conference aimed at strengthening collaboration for economic growth and youth empowerment.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
