World Youth Skills Day:We Remain Committed to Skills Not Just Degrees - MAPOLY TVET Directors
Two Directors from the Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, have Identified with the unique struggles of the youths affirming the institution's commitment to delivering skills based technical education and entrepreneurship
As the world commemorates the World Youth Skills Day 2024 today, Two Directors from Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) Centres at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta, Engr. Dr. Olanrewaju Apampa and Arc.Dr.Olabisi Baiyewu, have identified with the unique struggles of Nigerian youths for survival, rei stating the commitment of the institution to youth skills development.
The two Directors emphasized that the Polytechnic remains committed to creating a conducive environment where youths can acquire the skills needed for their survival and successfully navigating the economy of the post covid-19 21st century.
OPEN TELEVISION Naija reports that the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guteres, had earlier made this call a clarion call to critical stakeholders around the world, including TVET institutions, to join the global community by creating a conducive environment for youths to acquire relevant skills to guarantee global peace and development.
It would be recalled that in the year 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
The theme for this year's World Youth Skills Day 2024; "Youth Skills for Peace and Development," underscores the crucial role young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
OPEN TELEVISION Naija recalls that, the world faces a multitude of challenges in recent time, many of which affect the youth. Violence, conflicts disrupting education and stability, a polarized online environment fostering negativity, and persistent economic inequality limits opportunities. These issues threaten not only individual futures but also the overall stability of societies.
Meanwhile, the two youth skills development-oriented Centres at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta namely: The Skills Development Centre and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of the Ogun-state owned Polytechnic have reiterated their continuous commitment to ensuring that Nigerian youths are groomed to possess the right set of skills set, entrepreneurial mindset and know-how required to navigate the current global economy.
In their separate interviews with OPEN TELEVISION Television Naija, the Director, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Skills Development Centre, Engr. Dr. Olanrewaju Apampa and the Director, Centre Entrepreneurship Development, Arc.Dr.Olabisi Baiyewu, maintained that tertiary institutions, especially Polytechnics should remain focused and committed of to the all-important mandate of grooming students to be self-reliant and equipped with industry required skills instead of merely brandishing academic certifications.
Engr. Apampa who revealed that the Skills Development Centre identifies with Nigerian youths on the occasion of the commemoration of the World Youth Skills Day 2024, affirmed that the Centre is poised to explore all possible collaboration options available to it to ensure that Nigerian youths who pass through the Polytechnic graduate as skillful, value-added graduates.
He further revealed that Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta is now ready to train students on additional skills such as: Electrical Installations, Plumbing Works and GSM Phones repairs.
He also revealed that the Centre has just signed an MoU with the Chinese Free Trade in Igbesa, Ogun state to facilitate internship of students in companies located within the Free Trade Zone.
In his own words, Arc.Olabisi Baiyewu stated that "continuous collaborations targeted at equipping Polytechnic graduates with relevant industry required skills sets and entrepreneurship spirit for innovations and solutions to societal problems in a profitable manner, remains a watchword of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre of the Polytechnic."
Arc. Baiyewu also revealed that it is part of the primary mandate of the Centre, not only to train students on entrepreneurship but to also facilitate connectivity between students and old students of the institution who are already successful entrepreneurs in various sectors for proper entrepreneurship mentoring as reflected in the forthcoming Open Business Day Exhibitions & Awards being organized by the Centre.
He revealed that the institution encourages students to participate in the World Youth Skills Day sessions organized by the Global Skills Development Desk of UNESCO since doing so provides a unique opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers’ and workers’ organizations, policy makers and development partners.
He noted that Vision Education 2030 devotes considerable attention to technical and vocational skills development, specifically regarding access to affordable quality TVET; the acquisition of technical and vocational skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship; the elimination of gender disparity and ensuring access for the vulnerable.
In this context, TVET is expected to address the multiple demands of an economic, social and environmental nature by helping youth and adults develop the skills they need for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, promoting equitable, inclusive and sustainable.
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