Vocational education and the challenge of youth unemployment

Unemployment has become a global concern.  Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country as at 2012 has an estimated unemployment rate of about 24 percent with youth unemployment rate accounting for about 54 percent from the records of the National Bureau of Statistics. With a projected 16 percent unemployment growth rate, what is the way forward for Nigeria?

Experts and stakeholders point to Vocational Education and Training (VET) as a way out. And it is in this respect that the federal government’s reiteration for the need to prioritize vocational training and skills acquisition in order to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness in the country should not just be a lip service.

In spite of the fact that the Nigerian economy has witnessed a considerable growth in the last decade, issues of underemployment, low educational levels, and lack of proper vocational training which can provide better employment opportunities, are still prevalent. The shortage of skilled workforce is evident from the discrepancies of demand and supply in the market. And a key factor that has been identified by employers of labour, governments and experts as responsible for full utilization of the employment opportunities in the various sectors is lack of relevant skills.

It is a fact that no nation experiences development above the skills level of its human resources. The shortage of appropriately skilled labour across many industries is emerging as a significant and complex challenge to Nigeria’s economic growth and future development. Hence, investment in human resources through formal education, training and other forms of learning is essential to achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.

We acknowledge the various efforts by the federal government towards vocational education and training programmes such as the ITF-NECA technical skills development programme which is a joint initiative of the ITF and NECA. The programme was designed to facilitate the availability of middle level manpower with appropriate technical and vocational skill to bridge the identified skill gap and meet the technical manpower of the Nigerian economy; National Directorate of Employment (NDE), as well as the national policy on employment. 

We also acknowledge experts analysis that around half of all jobs in the year 2020 will require a medium level qualification, which will often be achieved by some form of vocational education and training. Hence, we suggest adequate funding of existing vocational institutions, while also implementing other programmes that can play an important role in curbing youth unemployment such as empowerment programmes in the area of computing, digital and foreign language skills.

We urge relevant authorities to properly implement entrepreneurship education in the tertiary education system to make the teeming youth population imbibe entrepreneurial skills that would enable them become self-employed and even create employment for others. 

We believe that while a growing working age population is strength for Nigeria, it could be a societal risk if this population lack necessary skills with which it can secure productive employment, or create employment.