Stakeholders seek investment in technical education to tackle youth unemployment

Stakeholders from the South-East and South-South, have called for massive investment for technical education in the region to tackle the rising unemployment in Nigeria.

They made the call during the “South-East and South-South Interregional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Forum held in Enugu on Thursday.

The forum was organised by the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), Enugu State.

The stakeholders are educators, policymakers, captains of industries, and technical experts from the two regions.

The event which was themed “From Classroom To Careers; Revolutionizing Technical Education for Regional Prosperity” was supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Declaring the event open, the state Governor, Mr Peter Mbah, said that technical and vocational education was not only relevant but responsive in the labour market demand, which he noted had become more critical now.

He said across the regions, there was growing recognition that traditional academic pathways alone could not address the employment needs of the growing youth population.

The governor, represented by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, described the forum as critical and timely, especially given the growing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

“In Enugu State, we are committed to technical education and we have since embarked on the construction of technical schools across the three federal constituencies in the state,” he said.

In a keynote address, the Director of the Catholic Institute of Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), Enugu, Prof. Obiora Ike, said that every year, thousands of students who graduate from universities were not assured of jobs.

This, he said, happened because they did not have on-demand skills needed to be productive in the labour market.

He regretted that while there had been too much talk about technical education, there had been less action.

“We must reimagine how we prepare our youth for the work ahead by bridging the gap between education and industry,” he advised.

Also speaking, the GIZ- Skye Component Manager TVET, Rachel Schipper, said the project was Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE II) programme, inaugurated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

She added that the programme was co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

“Through SKYE II, we continue to contribute to Nigeria’s sustainable development priorities by promoting employment creation, strengthening the quality of the TVET system, fostering gender equality, and advancing inclusive and decent work opportunities.

“This forum is an important platform to foster stronger collaboration among TVET boards, institutions, and industry players.

“As we face increasing demands for a skilled, adaptable workforce, it has become clear that no single institution can achieve this alone,” Schipper said.

She stressed that right partnerships between states, boards, training institutions, and the private sector were essential to ensure that skills development programmes remained responsive to labour market needs and youth employment priorities.

On her part, Executive Secretary of STVSMB, Mrs Amaka Ngene, urged participants to engage meaningfully, share their experiences and forge partnerships that would drive meaningful change and economic prosperity across the regions.

Mr Ezedi Ezengwa, Chief Executive Officer, Innoson Kiara Academy, expressed the need to create business development centres for institutions to employ people who were purposefully dedicated to customer service engagement. (NAN)