NBTE Develops New Curricula, Others To Address Unemployment

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has developed over 60 new and reviewed curricula, National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Open, Distance and Flexible e-Learning (ODFeL) Courseware in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in order to address unemployment in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, disclosed this on Tuesday at a public presentation of the new and reviewed National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula NOS and ODFeL in Abuja.

He said the new and reviewed curricula were long overdue as it would help to provide general guide to institutions in determining the body of knowledge and skills while also addressing the employability problems in the country.

Bugaje buttressed the need for the Board to keep developing and reviewing more in order to bring them to national and international standards

“The board has a combined total of over 350 curricula, NOS and ODFEL courseware in the Nigerian TVET system.

“The notable quality of these curricula is that they are industry-driven; developed and/or reviewed with the full participation of the Nigerian industries to address the employability problem that are often encountered by our diplomates upon graduation.

“The problem of employers of labour incurring additional cost to retrain our products in order to fit into their operation is hopefully being solved.

“The peculiar type of training that should be given to Polytechnic and Monotechnic students in line with the national objective of encouraging youths economic self-reliance, entrepreneurship as a programme has, more than ever before, become one of the key features of the reviewed curricula,” he said.

He listed some of the new and reviewed curricula as ND/HND in Petroleum and Gas Processing Engineering, Transport, Planning and Management; Strategic Communication and Media Studies; Water Sanitation and Hygiene, and Organic Agricultural Technology.

He also listed Homeland Security; Articulated Vehicle Driving; Construction Equipment Operation, and Traditional and Herbal Hygiene as parts of the new and reviewed NOS for skill training.

Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the new development would mark the departure from the old practice where subject experts develop/review curricula without taking cognisance of the expectations of employers of labour.

Adamu, who was represented by the Director of Polytechnic Education and Allied Institutions in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Ejeh Usman, said the curricula would no doubt instil fresh ideas in the delivery and learning processes.