VOCATONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR SELF-RELIANCE IN NIGERIA

VOCATONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR SELF-RELIANCE IN NIGERIA ABSTRACT Education is essential for economic and social development of a country. Developing individuals to be well trained and motivated in vocational trade will be a step in the right direction. Vocational and technical education is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the world of work. This is any education, training and learning activity leading to the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills which are relevant for employment or self-employment. This article addresses the importance of enforcing vocational and technical education in the country. The steps which the government has taken promoting vocational and technical education are also explained in the article. Since the efforts of the government in promoting vocational and technical education in the country have been little, recommendations on how to solve the re-occurring problems of the subject have been highlighted vividly. INTRODUCTION Vocational education is a form of education that prepares people for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels from a technician or a professional position in engineering, medicine, architecture, pharmacy, law, etc. vocational training is also referred to as vocational education or technical education. The education is particularly based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, related to a specific trade, occupation or vocation. Adeleye and Abiola (2013) noted that vocational and technical education is an integral part of general education that is meant to prepare a person in the practical aspect of a chosen career. Awotunde (1993) also notedthat vocational and technical education involves all programmes aimed at developing the cognitive skills of the learners. Thus, vocational education is that part of total educational system, which offers courses leading to the acquisition of specific skills to enable one to perform certain job. Vocational and Technical education is necessary in this present world to reduce the load of people waiting on white collar jobs to survive. Individuals endowed with these vocational skills can be self employed and employers of labours as well. IMPORTANCE OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION • Vocational education is prepares a person for a specific job. It equips a person with skills and qualities required to do a particular job, such as fashion designing, interior decoration, computer networking, auto repairing, etc. Since local employers are sometimes brought to enlighten the students on the subject, the students gain more practical experience. • Vocational education promotes self employment thereby encouraging entrepreneurship. The individual is equipped adequately with the required skills thereby providing the liberty to establish self owned business. Since there are little or no jobs in the country, vocational education provides employment to people with this knowledge. • Vocational educational reduces the rate of unemployment in a country. Individuals with vocational skills can establish firms where they can engage their acquired skills. With this they can employ people to work with them as well as train them in the same trade. DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA Hernes (2004) discussed that “most education came about through participation, preparation for work and adult life happened by interaction, not through training in separate specific institutions”. He further enunciated that young people took on the tasks of their parents when production remained stable over generations. All they needed to know was what their parents knew i.e. how to till and irrigate the soil, how to stitch a dress, where to fish and hunt, how to feed the herd. Amoor (2011) noted that the fundamental change in mode of education has come about as a result of fundamental changes in modes of production. As population diversity increased further, division of labour became beneficial. Rather than inheriting skills, it became more valuable to specialize and learn a particular trade. Such skills could only be learned from masters of that trade, who were not always parents.. OBJECTIVES OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA Danko (2006), stated the objectives of vocational education to be preparing learners for entry into employment in his or her chosen career, meet the manpower need for the society, increase the option available to each student, motivating force to enhance all types of learning and enable the learner to wisely select a career. The National Policy on Education Reviewed (2004) stressed the goal of technical and vocational education to include; • provide trained manpower in the applied sciences, technology and business particularly at craft, advanced crafts and technical levels • provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, commercial and economic development • give training and impart necessary skills to individuals who shall be self-reliant economically. ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT TO ACTUALIZE THESE GOALS The government has in a number of ways tried to institutionize vocational education in Nigeria through various ways which include: • Establishment of the Yaba technical college which was a conversion of the Yaba Higher College due to the recommendation of the Elliot Commission on higher education of 1945Ajayi (1963). • The Federal government collaborated with the African Development Bank (AFDB) to embark on skill training and promote vocational education in the country to spur self-reliance and entrepreneurship employment. • Various state governments have also been empowering youths in their states with vocational education and provision of equipments such as sewing machines, clippers, hairdryers, etc. PROBLEMS OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA • The society regards does engaged in vocational trades as lower in rank to individuals with western education. Amoor (2009) noted that most parents do not encourage or guide their wards to take a course in Vocational and Technical Education programme in Nigerian universities; this is because the society does not place any significant value or dignity on the programme.. • The cost of acquiring equipments to operate in vocational trade is sometimes too expensive. Most people can’t afford this equipments resulting in neglect of the trade and the government is not ready to sponsor this individuals. CONCLUSION Vocational education should be seen as the answer to unemployment in the country but only few individuals have taken it upon themselves to engage in vocational trades. Developed countries like China, Korea and Japan have decided to pursue technical education rather than western education which have resulted in these countries leading in mechanized and electrical device production. RECOMMENDATION The following recommendations can help solve the problems of vocational and technical education in Nigeria; • The government should not only organize training but also provide equipments for these individuals to practice what they have learnt. • Industries engaged in vocational trade should organize training for individuals to give them practical experience and also provide employment for these individuals after training. REFERENCES 1. Adeleye, S.T. and Abiola, F.R.(2013) Vocational and Technical Education for self-reliance in Nigeria. Vol.8.(2):52-59 2. Ajayi Frank(1963) Art and craft for the Nigeria Students:Ibadan, Longman Publishers. 3. Apa (2013): www.Starafrica .com 4. Amoor, S.S.(2009).The challenges of vocational and Technical Education Programme in Nigeria Universities. 5. Awotunde P.O(1993) Preparation of Vocational and Technical Education Teachers for Technological Advancement in Nigeria issue, problems And strategies Education Today vol. 6(3): 33-36. 6. Danko, A.I (2006): Entrepreneurship Education for Vocational and Technical Education Students - Second edition. Pp 2-3. 7. Fafunwa,A.B.(192) New Prospective in Africa Education (Review). 8. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) National Policy of Education (Review) Lagos NNERCD Press. 9. Hernes G. (2004): International Institute for Educational Planning News letter Vol. xxii(3) Pp.3. 10. Okocha M.(2009) Parental Attitudes toward vocational Education:Implication For counseling. Vol2.(1).