Using Techno-Vocational Education As Panacea For Youth Restivenessin Bayelsa State
There is a saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. This underscores the need to occupy the minds of the youths either through education or the acquisition of technical and vocational skills. Education is regarded as the best legacy anyone can bequeath to posterity.
It is a means of self-discovery as well as a tool for national integration. No nation can develop without education. For Aristotle education is the development of a sound mind. Therefore, education implies the transmission of what is worthwhile to those who are committed to it for societal transformation.
Nigeria has millions of educated people but most of the products of our educational system are bereft of skills for enterprise and entrepreneurialism. Nigeria’s educational system is too bookish, humanistic and certificate-centered. The implication is that most graduates do not have marketable skills and competencies to manipulate economic processes in the world of work.
A survey carried out by the Bureau of Statistics in 2015 put the unemployment figure at 56million persons, while more than 24million Nigerian graduates are unemployable. The unemployment index is rising as the economic weather becomes gloomier especially with the reduced production of crude oil and the plummeting price of crude oil.
This has been worsened by the fact that the economy is contracting, creation room for job cuts and downsizing. Most economic analysts have argued that only technical and vocational education can come to the rescue.
In his inaugural address, Governor Seriake Dickson declared a State–of-emergency. By this pronouncement, primary and Post-Primary education became free universal and compulsory. Implementation of this programme has taken root already though much still needs to be done. This is a feat no Governor has achieved.
Techno-vocational education forms the practical segment of education that is concerned with skills acquisition to link training to employment. It prepares the learner for careers that are based on practical activities. Techno-vocational education moves the learner from general education to specific occupation/skill path for relevant for the world of work. Techno-vocational education teaches skills such as welding, underwater welding, vulcanizing, mechanized farming, practical ICT training, automobile works and practical mechanics. Others may include repairs of ICT gadgets, motion camera training, tiling, fabrications, tailoring, furniture making, woodwork, fashion designing, cinematography, film production, photography, printing among others. The essence of techno-vocational education is to guide the recipients towards gaining practical knowledge, skills, and the right attitude for gainful employment and to contribute to self-employment.
In Bayelsa State, the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration has done a lot to promote technical and vocational education in the State. This has been done adopting a three-pronged approach. First, Governor Seriake Dickson created two key Ministries namely the Ministry of Science, Technology and Manpower Development and that of Youth Development. These Ministries were designed to attend to the challenges facing youth unemployment. Secondly, Government adopted the philosophy of establishing institutions designed for skills acquisition targeted at youth empowerment. Some of these institutions include: the school of music, the School of Languages, the International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, the Sports Academy at Asoama, the Bayelsa State Driving Academy, the Youth Development Centre among other skills development centres. The third approach is to send youths on techno-vocational training institutes. This approach has been accomplished in some great measure.
The overarching aim of government is to reduce unemployment rate and to sustain youth development through economic empowerment. The need for techno-vocational education in Bayelsa state is also geared towards enhancing sustainable development in the State. Since techno–vocational skill remains an important sector of economic development, it has become imperative for youths to pay more attention to this sector.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Manpower Development mounted capacity development programmes in technical and vocational skills include: Computer Technology; Welding; Auto mechanics; Electrical works; Plumbing and fitting; Hairdressing and baking among others.
In the Ministry of Agriculture hundreds of Youths have been trained in Songhai farms in Porto Novo in the Republic of Benin. These were trained in mechanized agriculture. The products of this programme will provide much-needed manpower in the states effort to leverage job creation through agriculture. Efforts are in top gears to revitalizing the Bayelsa Palm Limited to create job opportunities for youths. A survey has shown that Bayelsa Palm Limited alone, when reinvigorated can employ 2000 youths at the lower and intermediate levels.
Government has expanded the existing scholarship Scheme at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The effort is designed to assist youths to acquire education at the tertiary level and to build up a formidable stock of human capital in critical areas of the economy. About 789 persons benefited from the scheme even though the implementation ran to a hiccup because of the economic downturn in late 2014, when it became difficult for Government to cope with the financial burden of the scheme.
The Sports Academy at Asoama is designed to produce talented sports men and women who will earn foreign exchange for the country. Bayelsa State will replicate the likes of Samson Siasia in football, Champion Daniel Igali in Taekwondo Irigha Eferebo and Jackson Bide in traditional wrestling among others. The proposed Film Village will produce talented actresses like Dakore Egbuson, Hilda Dokubo and other role models in the Nollywood industry, who will leverage on the platform to engage young minds.
To entrench peace and security, Governor Seriake Dickson declared of Amnesty for repentant cultists: This administration assumed office with a burden of youth restiveness and proliferation of secret cult movements. Government’s resolve was that the youths had been misled by previous administration can be accommodated by the Restoration Government upon renunciation. So far about 11,000 youths across the state renounced cultism. The re-integration process is still on.
Government Technical College, Tunbgo has produced lower level manpower in the Techno-Vocational field. The school has produced some youths with intermediate skills for self-employment or to be employed to contribute to the economy.
Governor Seriake Dickson has also engaged about 3,000 youths in the Bayelsa Volunteers. The Bayelsa Volunteers have a mandate to police the water ways and the creeks to curb the ugly phenomenon of oil bunkering, sea piracy and kidnapping. So far the outfit has executed its functions to the expectation of Bayelsans. Governor Seriake Dickson realized that the freedom and human capacities of individuals must be developed to their maximum hence all government policies are designed to develop and empower the youths of Bayelsa State.
The Restoration administration is pro-youth and a lot has been done to promote youth empowerment. One is not claiming that the efforts are 100% successful because youth restiveness cannot be totally eliminated but reduced to the barest minimum. Governor Seriake Dickson is a man of vision and initiative. The Restoration Administration deserves the commendation of all Bayelsans. Governor Dickson has provided the right platform for youth empowerment and techno-vocational education to engage the youths for a productive living. After all, youths are the leaders of tomorrow.
Bio Catherine Oguara
is a member of Bayelsa New Media Team