Engineers call for upgrade of vocational centres

The Nigerian Academy of Engineers has called on the government at all levels to revamp technical and vocational training institutions across the country to reduce low supply of skilled artisans.

The body said the low supply of labour force in artisan trade such as carpentry and joinery, electrical installation, masonry, welding and fabrication, had amplified the need to re-energize apprenticeship training.

The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said this at a meeting themed, “Technical and vocational education in Nigeria-past, present and the future” organized by the NAE in Lagos.

Bugaje said, “Selected departments like welding and fabrication, building, mechatronics, automobile, process engineering must take the lead.

“Specific budgetary allocation for skills development should be made by Tertiary education Trust Fund as new modern training equipment must be procured and some of the lecturers/instructors must be retrained as assessors and verifiers in the polytechnic and federal colleges of education/technical institutes.

“Technical colleges must be re-engineered on a new paradigm, skills, and be well equipped to deliver national skills qualification training in addition to NABTEB.

“There should be funding by the development of the skills curricula by the National Occupational Standards and training of assessors/verifiers is critical as presently the numbers are dismally low.

“Before the 6-3-3-4 educational system was established, technical colleges were a good option and facilities well provided, now, every parent wants his/her child to earn a university degree.

“Only 123 technical colleges have survived nationwide out of 15,000 which is less than one per cent of the total number of colleges. The AKK Gas Pipeline Project is a game changer and we must train our youths too participate.

“The railway extension across the country is another milestone project and our youths must not be short-changed with imported Chinese labour. Mambila Power project is facing dearth of skilled workers and if care is not taken, the Chinese will take over”.

The president of the academy, Alex Ogedengbe, while lamenting the shortage of skilled artisans said the forum was an opportunity to re-energize efforts aimed at promoting the construction sector of the economy which is critical to development.

Former president of NAE, Mrs. Joanna Maduka, said the situation of technical and vocational education was worsened by a lack of organized way of doing things. She called for the revival of old structures and workshops.