Vocational and Technical Education as a Veritable Tool for Developing the Youths for Gainful Employment and Self-Reliance
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impact of vocational and technical education in developing a culture of entrepreneur’s aimed at reducing unemployment among Nigeria youths. It seeks to assess how the training and skills acquired from vocational and technical education can provide the necessary platform to promote entrepreneurship as well as to reduce unemployment.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
National development is an exploitation and utilization of both human and material resources to improve the lots of a nation. It involves the improvement of the social welfare of the people of that nation. Education on the other hand, is particularly acknowledged as the cornerstone to any form of development as well as democratic processes. In Nigeria, Vocational and Technical Education is the form of education perceived to be the greatest weapon that can be used to bring or achieve a quick desirable changes or development in the country’s economic, political, sociological and human resources. Technology unarguably emerged as the dominant factor in determining the wealth of a nation. The technology applied in Nigeria today has been imported which impact negatively to the development of our indigenous technology (Habibu, 2007). No nation can be self reliant without developing and utilizing her indigenous talents and technologies. According to Abdullahi (1993), development in Technical and Vocational Education are intimately linked to the general trends in the economy and labour markets which are particularly susceptible to the effects of technology changes. It is believed that the promotion of technical and vocational education would enable an individual to be better, more useful and productive citizen of the society for a sustainable development in Nigeria. To clarify issues raised here, the research seeks to examine the following:
- Technical and vocational education overview.
- Goals of technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
- Concept of National development.
- Technical and vocational education and productivity.
- Constraints of effective TVE development in Nigeria.
Technical and Vocational Education Overview
Technical and Vocational Education is a planned programme of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options, supports basic academic and life skills and enables achievement of high academic standards, leadership qualities, preparation for industry define work and advanced and continuing education. Adele and Olukayode (2007) described TVE as a program with various branches that can transform Nigeria into a producer/manufactures nation from its present status of a consumer /importer nation. Its various courses are career oriented and thus arms graduates with kills to work in the choose trade or profession. The current Nigeria National Policy on Education places great emphasis on technical and vocational education as an integral part of national development strategy. National Policy on Education (2004) describes Technical and Vocational Education as a comprehensive term referring to those aspects of the education process involving in addition to general education the study of technology and related science and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupation in various sectors of economic and social life. For a country to advance both socially economically and technologically, its citizens must be productive and creative. It must have a productive citizen majority of which can be job creators rather than job seekers. Lawal (2010) describe vocational and technical education as that types of education that prepare people who could apply relevant practical skill to make positive changes within their society and afford a self dependent life . This form of education has been attest severally as an education that provides self employment, enhance productivity and self reliance. It seduce the over dependence of school graduates on government own jobs. Vocational and technical education gives individual the skills to live learn and work as productive citizen in a global society.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely
-Primary source and
secondary source
primary source: These are materials of statistical investigation, which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary data: These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Ogili (2002) defined population of the study as “a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher in interested in getting information for the study” vocational and technical education as a veritable tool for developing the youth for gainful employment and self-reliance 160 students of technical schools were selected randomly as the population of the study
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research question of this study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to find out the impact of vocational and technical education as a veritable tool for developing the youth for gainful employment and self-reliance.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of vocational and technical education in Nigeria.
Summary
Vocational and technical education is not just a Nigerian issue. It has been a long time discourse both in academic and practice. Though the issue in most developing countries like Nigeria has been a question of successful implementation of VTE programme (Okorocha, 2012). In this era of globalization and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), emphasis is on vocational skills for the production of self-reliant citizens. VTE therefore, has the has a lot of roles to play which incldes Youth Empowerment In this 21st century characterized by knowledge explosion, the emphasis should be on production of self-reliant citizens. VTE should empower the Nigerian youth with requisite employability skills that should be sustained. VTE schools should produce men and women who, at the end of their education should be able to put into use the skills they have acquired while in school. Institutions should partner with industries and other businesses to enable students fit into the wider society on graduation, either as individual workers in paid employment or self-employed person and functional members of the political society.
Conclusion
Improving skill acquisition through vocational and technical education will no doubt solve Nigerian’s multiple problems regarding human capital development, empowerment, unemployment and economic instability. The world has recognized that no meaningful social and economic progress could be recorded when majority of the populace is unemployed. This is why nations are striving to overcome the problem of unemployment especially among its youths and Nigeria is not left out. Since many programmes introduced to tackle the issue of unemployment in Nigeria has failed the nation, it now becomes obvious that the easiest way to achieve the goal is by improving skill acquisition through vocational and technical education for youth empowerment and sustainability. When all these strategies and solutions are adhered to, VTE in Nigeria will definitely take a new outlook in line with the trend in the global world.
Recommendations
Haven successfully completed the study, and for the success and survival of vocational and technical education as a viable tool to economic development, the following recommendations are offered:
- Government should increase the budgetary allocation to vocational and technical education. As we know that government cannot do it alone, corporate organizations, parents and alumni associations should assist in providing some of the equipment needed in the training of vocational and technical students.
- Efforts should also be made by the government to see that there is full implementation of the policies concern vocational and technical education. They should make this possible by promulgating laws or sanctioning each state that fails to adopt or implement the policy fully.
- Government should encourage interest persons by giving scholarships to students and technical teachers for further studies in vocational and technical courses. Technical Teachers Training Programme (TTTP) should be revived.
- Youths should be given the necessary vocational training that will keep them busy in order to reduce crime and juvenile delinquency.
- Seminars and Workshops should be organized to enlighten the public about the importance of vocational and technical education
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