Unemployment in Nigeria is a matter of concern as there is greatly a large population of people without jobs in the country .Every other year, an estimate of 500,000 students graduate from tertiary institutions expanding the labour market ,they expect to get jobs but the reality is that there are no jobs available waiting for them.
This problem has however led to many other problems including poverty, increased crime rate , corruption, among others. Some graduates have to engage in menial jobs to earn a living while some venture into crime out of desperation to fend for themselves.
However,a few have acquired vocational skills that provide them an honest source of living, thus not relying on white collar jobs and increasing the unemployment rate in the country.
Vocational skills training thereby is a great way of reducing and in the long run eradicating unemployment in Nigeria. It enables people to acquire skills that are in demand and also help them become self-employed. It is also a way to promote entrepreneurship and innovation as well as creativity.Skills like; hairdressing, catering, shoemaking,beadmaking as well as sewing are in high demand and have become very profitable businesses in the country.
Catering as is known, involves preparing and serving food for events,parties and even restaurants ,and Nigeria is a country with a rich culinary tradition,so it is a great business to indulge in .Hairdressing involves styling, cutting and colouring of hair. The Nigerian culture exalts and promotes hair styles so the skill is in high demand and highly lucrative as people always want to keep their hair styled neatly.Shoemaking involves creating of shoes. People have come to prefer handmade foot wares so the skill is hot in demand and highly favoured in the country.Beadmaking and sewing are also great skills to indulge in as people have to wear clothes and use beads as jewelry or even bags among other accessories.There are other skills that one could acquire to earn a living without waiting years for a governmental job.
It is however essential to also acquire formal education from the four walls of a school asides skills acquisition. It is of advantage to be learned formally and also have a vocational skill at hand as it would help one see things from a clearer and higher perspective,one would be able to relate better with clients and also be able to apply knowledge acquired formally and also creativity to one’s business.
– Titilayo, writes from the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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