Vocational Education: Missing link in Nigeria’s Development Policy

By

Victor E. Dike

vdike@cwnet.com

Vocational education and job training program has been an integral part of national development strategies in many societies because of the impact on human resource development, productivity, and economic growth. Despite its proven contribution Nigeria does not seem to give vocational education the attention it deserves; and that appears one of the reasons for the rising unemployment and poverty in the society. This article therefore argues that vocational education is the missing link in Nigeria’s development policy. To improve the skills and welfare of the citizens the delegates to the National Political Reform Conference, in particular the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), should push for increase in funding for vocational education as part of the general educational policy and planning in the current national economic reform program. This is expected to translate into higher productivity, less unemployment, poverty and crime, economic growth and prosperity for Nigeria.

It has been noted that vocational education is designed to offer training to improve individuals' general proficiency, especially in relation to their present or future occupations. The provision of vocational and technical schools has a long history. Before the Industrial Revolution (between1750&1830) the home and the “apprenticeship system” were the principal sources of vocational education. Societies were however forced by the decline of handwork and specialization of occupational functions to develop institutions of vocational education. As the Columbia Encyclopedia of 2001 noted manual training, involving general instruction in the use of hand tools was said to have developed initially in Scandinavia (c.1866). However, vocational education became popular in the elementary schools in the United States after 1880 and developed into courses in industrial training, bookkeeping, stenography, and allied commercial work in both public and private institutions. Some of the early private trade schools in the US include Cooper Union (1859) and Pratt Institute (1887), the Hampton Institute (1868) and Tuskegee Institute (1881). The agricultural high school (1888) of the University of Minnesota was the first regularly established public vocational secondary school that introduced extensive public instruction in agriculture.

The number of public and private vocational schools has greatly increased since 1900. There was an impetus on vocational education during World War II (1939-1945) when the armed services had great need for technicians that the civilian world could not supply. Further upsurge on vocational training was from the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (the G. I. Bill of Rights), which allowed World War II veterans to receive tuition and subsistence during extended vocational training. In addition, there was the Manpower Development Training Act (1962), the Vocational Education Act (1963), the Vocational Education Amendments (1968) and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act (1984). All these helped to improve the US workforce and ensure that vocational training is available for economically (and physically) challenged youths. It is not only the US that appreciates skills acquired through vocational and technical education. According to van Ark (1992) the Dutch school system is said to pay attention to “high standards in mathematics and the provision of vocational education at ages 14-16 for a third of all pupils, and widespread vocational education at 16 +.” Thus secondary (high) schools in many countries have vocational centers that offer vocational training for lifelong trade together with general academic studies. However, because of changes in world economy many vocational schools have shifted emphasis to training in the computers and information technology.

As earlier discussed, while vocational education has continued to thrive in many societies Nigeria is not taking it seriously. Although vocational and technical education seem deficient in ‘citizenship or leadership training’ (Friedman 1982), they could provide students the skills to become productive entrepreneurs and engender creative and innovative ideas that would enlarge the nations economic pie, and increase personal freedom. Thus the neglect of vocational education is socially injurious as it rubbing the nation of the contribution the graduates would make on national development. More importantly, the society needs competent auto mechanics and truck drivers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians (to maintain the NEPA plants) and computers, database and Web/Network technicians (for NITEL telephone circuits and lines), bookkeepers and clerks, medical technicians and vocational nurse to function well. The half-baked roadside mechanics in the society often cause more damages to vehicles when they are contracted to service them, and because of poor training some of the commercial drivers on the road and nurses assistants in the hospitals have sent many people to their early death. The current preoccupation with university education in Nigeria reduces economic opportunities of those who are more oriented toward work than academe. Not everyone needs a university education. But who would employ them if everyone became a university graduate? As mentioned earlier, graduates of vocational and technical institutions are highly skilled entrepreneurs. Many of the so-called “expatriate engineers” who are being paid huge sum of money in dollars to build the roads and bridges in Nigeria are graduates of vocational colleges, yet, Nigeria is not taking this sector seriously.

Youth unemployment appears to be shooting up the sky because many of them lack “employability” skills that are often acquired from vocational schools. As the vanguard of Dec 23, 2004 noted youth unemployment moved from 4.3% in 1985 to 5.3% in 1986, to 7.0% in 1987 and jumped to 60% in 1997. The report shows that in 2003 primary school accounted for 14.7% unemployment, secondary school 53.6%, and tertiary schools constituted 12.4%. The nation’s poverty level was put at 70% and more than 91 million Nigerians are said to live on less than one dollar per day. Also it has been well documented that Nigeria’s higher institutions lack the tools to give students the skill employers need. There should therefore be some form of school-work-based learning incorporated in studies in higher institutions across the land as an integral part of national development strategy as this could reduce the burden of unemployment and poverty on the people.

Evidently, Nigeria is lagging behind in preparing her workforce for the challenges of the rapidly changing global economy. For that, the nation must invest copiously in education with particular attention given to vocational and technical education. No nation would make any meaningful socioeconomic stride without viable educational institutions. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and teachers in this area should take up the campaign for more funds for vocational education and to launder its image in the society. It has been this way in many societies. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has noted that revitalizing this sector is among the ways to improve economic opportunities for the youths. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the affiliated unions could also help in this regard by setting up vocational training centers in local government areas from where the people could acquire some job skills. Upgrading the workers’ skills would improve their productivity and advance their values (wages/salaries and benefits) and voices on the job; calling out the workers for strike actions is not the only way to fight for their welfare. The NEEDS program should include vocational education and job training program in its economic growth and development strategies as part of poverty alleviation and assist the unemployed in job search. This is the way things are set up in many societies, and Nigeria should adopt and adapt the system if she wants to move forward. Political rhetoric without action will not solve Nigeria’s problems. The progress of Nigeria lies in the productivity of its citizens and quality education and genuine vocational programs hold the key!

References

Alwasilah, A. Chaedar; “Vocational education must provide students with life skills, The Jakarta Post; 2/11/2002.