The Nigerian Institution of Electrical Electronic Engineers(NIEEE), Ibadan Chapter, has reiterated that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) remained a panacea to national growth.
The Chairman, NIEEE, Ibadan Chapter, Babatunde Ogunpaimo, said this at a technical lecture organised by NIEEE Ibadan Chapter for students, serving corps members and other stakeholders in science and engineering field on Tuesday in Ibadan.
Ogunpaimo said that the aim of the technical lecture was to encourage young ones to embrace the concept of technical and vocational education and training and its importance in national development.
He added that the present state of the country, in terms of unemployment, could be because of abandonment of rich technical and vocational education.
“Inclusiveness of TVET programmes in curriculum of primary and secondary level of education will expose citizens to different skills, while its addition at tertiary level brings about self-sustenance and national development,” he said.
The guest speaker, Dr Basir Ikotun, Chief Executive Officer, Automation and Engineering Academy, an automation engineer, said that TVET remained most reliable vehicle for economic prosperity and political supremacy of a nation over others.
Ikotun added that TVET remained relevant in solving the present economic problems in the country due to the advancement in technology, occupational mobility, high rate of unemployment and increasing number of women in the workforce.
“Technical and vocational education and training for job creation should be given utmost priority by government, having in mind the future consequences and task ahead for national development.
“Technical and vocational education is also fundamental to sustainable industrial and economic development of the nation.
“If Nigeria is to be recognised as an effective participants in the globalised world economy, it must pay sufficient attention to TVET,” he noted.
Ikotun added that the Automation and Engineering Academy in collaboration with the NIEEE, Ibadan Chapter, would freely train selected students from technical colleges, polytechnics and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in TVET programmes.
