Rep Preaches New Trades, Skills To Boost Students’ Employment Chances

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Olusola Fatoba has described new trades, skills and vocations as instruments that could enhance students’ employability.

Fatoba said these informed the reason the federal government recently introduced such innovations into the country’s basic education curriculum.

The lawmaker who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, counselled parents and school children to embrace vocational skills to build and create a better future for themselves.

The federal lawmaker who noted that rejigging the curriculum to accommodate 15 new trades was good for the students said its implementation for primary and junior secondary schools students will commence in January 2025, following its approval from the National Council on Education.

Fatoba who represents Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1 in the National Assembly, however, called for the inclusion of history to enable the pupils gain the knowledge about their past to be able to project into the future.

He added that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration aims to make students self-reliant, competitive and align with global standards on completion of their education.

He called on Nigerians to keep supporting the president in his efforts towards making life better for the citizens.

Fatoba said, “The government plans to finalise preparations over the next three months to ensure that both private and public schools are ready.

“These preparations include teacher training, the development of instructional guides, and infrastructure improvements.

“The curriculum aims to equip Nigerian students with modern skills like digital literacy, robotics, and various vocational and entrepreneurship opportunities”.

Fatoba who is the Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values maintained that students will have the option to choose from various courses where they will have practical knowledge relevant to the economy upon graduation.

The 15 newly introduced trades in the Basic Education curriculum according to him, include Plumbing, Tiling and Floor Works, POP Installation, Event Decoration and Management, Bakery and Confectioneries, Hairstyling, Make-up, Interior Design, GSM Repairs and Satellite/TV Antenna Installation.

The rest are CCTV, intercom installation and maintenance, solar installation and maintenance, garment making, agriculture and processing (crop production, beekeeping, horticulture, sheep and goat farming, poultry, and rabbit farming) and basic digital literacy (IT and Robotics).

Fatoba said the initiative bears testament to the President’s interest in Nigerian students.