…encourage parents, students to embrace Vocational Education
The Lagos State government is set to establish additional five technical schools with the existing five to make ten across the five divisions of the state.
The creation of more technical colleges is to encourage more students to enroll in technical colleges.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Tolani Alli-Balogun dropped the hint at this year’s Lagos Youth Skills Day themed “Equipping tomorrow’s leaders with skills for a brighter future”, held at Ikeja.
The Commissioner said the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved the creation of more five technical colleges in order to accommodate more students willing to have vocational study.
“We met with the governor who said creating more technical colleges to existing five was overdue. No nation has ever developed without input from technical colleges. Local governments, the community, and CDAs should be educated on the importance of enrolling their children in technical colleges.
“Many parents are not enlightened on the importance of technical education. We are convinced that equipping the youth with the right skills, they are better equipped to become leaders and technical in their various communities in the future,” the commissioner said.
In her remarks during the breakout session of the event, Mrs Feyisola Abiru – an entrepreneur and furniture maker commended the state government for paying more attention to technical skills through technical colleges in order to empower the youth
“The youth are the future of the country, and the more we focus on developing their skills, the more we increase the productivity of the country. Technical colleges are the future of the country, it makes the youth employable. Once we invest in our technical education, the quality of our products will be enhanced,” she stated.
The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Vocational Education Board, LASTVEB, Ronke Azeez said July 15 is used annually to celebrate United Nations World Youth Skills Day and the students at Lagos State Government Technical Colleges usually mark the day by carrying out volunteer activities within their local community.
She noted that the students carry out various projects free of charge using their skills.
“What I realised is that our youths are very savvy. They are in tune with what is going on in their environment. Our youth understand the need for diverse skills to stay competitive in the 21st century,” she added.
She, however, urged the government to address challenges facing technical education in Nigeria, such as lack of equitable access to devices, the need for cost-effective and proper infrastructure such as access to the internet, among others.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Technical Education, Mr Omotola Giwa-Moore, said the Lagos Youth Skills Day annual celebration was to create awareness and encourage more students to embrace vocational skills to be self-reliant rather than waiting for white collar jobs which are not readily available.
A Realtor, Dr Saheed Mosadoluwa who shared his experience of rising from being a bricklayer, urged youths to shun all forms of social vices and learn a skill to become employer of labor and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.
The Lagos Youth Skills Day was attended by students of the five government technical colleges in Lagos, from Ikotun, Ikorodu, Odomola-Epe, Ado-Soba and Agidingbi who engaged in heated debate on the relevance of technical colleges to national development.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite; Commissioner for Basic Education, Hon. Tolani Alli-Balogun; Managing Director of H&Y Furniture, Mrs Feyisola Abiru; Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Mrs Ronke Azeez and Senior Special Assistant on LASTVEB, Mr Omotola Giwa-Moore at the event.
