In a saturated labour market where many graduates roam the streets of Nigeria jobless, vocational training emerges as a viable solution. It can empower individuals, including those without formal education, to become employers rather than job seekers.
Vocational training equips individuals with practical skills that are essential for creating jobs and generating wealth. By fostering self-sufficiency, those who undergo such training can effectively meet their financial needs while also providing for others.
Chief Livinus Opara, industrialist and CEO of Rimax Institute, emphasizes the necessity of enhancing vocational learning across the creative economy. He believes that this approach will foster collaboration and address skill gaps prevalent in the workplace.
Opara advocates for the integration of vocational skills acquisition into secondary school curricula. This initiative would enable students to acquire skills that can sustain them in life, even if they do not pursue higher education.
“Vocational training at the secondary level will alleviate pressure on universities, allowing students who may not gain admission to have technical skills to fall back on. Tertiary education is not for everyone; we need to train hands in practical skills that will support our industries and enable individuals to earn a living,” he stated.
He further highlighted that the high number of unemployed youth contributes to societal issues such as banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping. “Equipping people with skills from an early age can help mitigate these challenges,” he noted.
Opara urged affluent individuals in Nigeria to establish vocational schools and make them affordable, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children. By investing in vocational training, we can pave the way for a more productive and secure future for the nation.
He stressed the relevance of education to national development, saying, the low fees charged by the school was to enable more people, especially, indigent ones access education and quality one too.
Opara speaking at a media briefing held in Ojokoro, Lagos State to herald the inauguration of the 38 classrooms of Rimax Institute’s secondary school to aid education, added that his institute was used to showcase some learning aids and equipment that could facilitate vocational and contemporary learning.
The school, with a 3,000 students’ capacity, situated in a serene environment, has begun student’s enrollment for forthcoming session into all classes with a tuition fee of N500 per week.
Opara said, the jettisoning of the vocational skills acquisition of the 3-3-4 system of education has made school leavers redundant, unemployable and hopeless.
According to him, the students will have first-hand training in computer, fashion, catering, word processing, engineering, mass communication and 20 others alongside contemporary teachings.
