VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION: A VIABLE TOOL FOR TRANSFORMATION OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY (Published)
Vocational and technical education has been integral part of national development strategies in many societies because of the impact on human resource development, productivity and economic development. It holds the key to national development of most nation’s. However, despite its contribution to societal and economic development, Nigerian leaders have not given this aspect of education the attention it desires. This could be one of the reasons for the nation’s underdevelopment. This paper attempts to examine the concept of vocational and technical education, objectives of vocational and technical education, image of vocational and technical education in Nigeria, the importance and role of vocational and technical education in economic development and challenges of vocational and technical education in Nigeria. The paper concludes that through vocational and technical education youths as well as adults will be trained to acquire skills, attitude and knowledge which are needed for the economic growth of our nation. The paper therefore recommends that the nation must invest copiously in education with particular attention given to vocational and technical education.
Keywords: Economic Development, Nigeria, Skill Acquisition, Vocational and Technical Education.
REPOSITIONING TECHNOLOGY AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) FOR POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA (Published)
The paper acknowledges that Technology and vocational education and training (TVET) is an integral component of lifelong learning that provides functional education for individuals’ survival and socio-economic wellbeing of the society. This realization informs the global acceptance of TVET, as an effective tool for nation building and transformation. Taking cognizance of skill enhancement or empowerment capability of TVET for job creation, the paper upholds, this could engender poverty reduction which in turn orchestrates the culture of peace, environmentally sustainable development, social cohesion and international citizenship. The paper also emphasizes the potency of TVET in meeting the gap for new forms of skill development to meet the technological, economic and social needs of many developed countries. Furthermore, the author describes poverty as a serious menace to national growth and highlights some causes and destructive effects of poverty to nation building and maintains that unless appropriate attention is accorded to TVET the ripple effects of poverty would continue to defile every well informed policy/approaches of the government to nib poverty in the bud. Consequently, amidst other recommendations, the paper affirms that the government should through its agencies sufficiently empower graduates of TVET at all levels and also diligently mentor and monitor their activities to ensure their sustenance and active contribution to nation building as well as poverty reduction.
Keywords: Nigeria, Poverty Reduction, Repositioning Technology, Training (Tvet), Vocational education