The rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Dr. Temitope John Alake has said that the digital economy is reducing the need for manpower, urging Nigerians to embrace manipulative and technical educational skills for individual and national development.
He said the institution is embarking on mass food production as way of imparting the communities, shore up internally generated revenue and to ensure food sufficiency in Nigeria.
Alake, who spoke while addressing a press conference marking his first year in office said acquiring such vocational skills will help in producing more job creators in the country.
The rector who stated that skill acquisition, training of the mind remained the mandate of the polytechnic said “We train our students here to have manipulative skills, so that they don’t go out looking for job after graduation but become job creators.
“Majority of those that have passed through the polytechnic system are prospective job creators.The government is trying to radicalise her services.
“What is the services you can render with your certificate? that is the level we are going to now. The digital economy is already reducing the need for manpower. Gone are the days, when graduates of technical colleges, polytechnics are referred to as the never do well.
“Parents should encouraged their children to acquire manipulative and vocational skills, that will help them to create jobs for themselves when government jobs are not available.You must render a service to get paid and the service you render is in line with the sellable skill you are able to acquire.”
He appreciated the federal government for making it compulsory for all students polytechnic students to have skills that is different from their primary course of study.
“It means students can also acquire skills in some other areas before graduation. This will help our society to grow. Avoiding manipulative skills will lead to dearth of artisans, farmers, welders and others, as it is now, the needs of the society are being catered for through polytechnic, technical education arena.”
He further decried university/ polytechnic dichotomy, saying the two certificates are not allowed to be at par and people see HND as second class certificate.
“This is affecting our HND classes, especially in Engineering. In a class that is supposed to be of about 120 class size, you see less than 30 thirty students, once the students have their Ordinary National Diploma (OND) they move straight to university to acquire degree.”
