Public private partnership to bridge skilled labour gap, arrest capital flight
The shortfall in skilled artisans in Nigeria and the aftermath of the huge foreign exchange loss to artisans from neighbouring countries like Benin Republic, Ghana and Togo may have forced Lagos State government and private organisations to commit investment in both human and infrastructure capacity to stem this tide BusinessDay finding have revealed.
With the nation’s unemployment rate at 24 percent and experts in project management and construction constantly challenged by shortage of skilled Craftsmen in almost every aspect of building construction, industry watchers see this involvement as a welcome development.
They observed that the absence of the will power to fully fund technical and vocational education to enable institutions train youths in specialise aspect of building like tilling, plumbing etc have over the years stifle its contribution to the development of key sectors of the economy.
Lagos State government under the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) in partnership with Skill Up initiative and Nigerite as part of strategies geared towards building human capital, empowerment of Nigerian youth and the industrialization of the country have committed resources to skilled training to improve manpower.
Afolabi Imoukhuede, CEO, MCS Consulting, said the investment is an initiative to train youths have become imperative considering the huge deficit in the construction sector, adding that the training with it City and Guild industry-backed technical skills competency training and examinations project will help bridge the gap.
Imoukhuede maintains that the long-term commitment of the investment prospect is to directly impact, over the next 10 years, almost every sector of the economy long term, beginning with construction and housing, and thereafter, oil and gas, power, manufacturing etc by producing an industry ready workforce.
“This, we believe, would significantly reduce the amount lost to capital flight through the excessive importation of skilled labour despite our large population”, he assured.
Imoukhuede disclosed that the initiative which focuses on developing practical skills for immediate absorption by the industry over and above certificates is powered by Nigerite Limited.
Skill Up initiative, Imoukhuede explained is out to revive the art of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and raising awareness among young people on the benefits of skills acquisition.
He added that it is also the vision of the company to challenge the youth to creatively use their skills and talent as emerging entrepreneurs, thereby stimulating wealth creation and reducing unemployment in the medium to long term.
A major objective of the initiative, according to him, is to strategically intervene and revive technical and vocational education by upgrading the quality, course content and infrastructure available to learners, thereby attracting and training a new breed of workforce and correcting the poor public perception of technical skills acquisition.
Olawumi Gasper, Executive Secretary, LASTVEB pointed out that government has used TVET in redirecting Lagos youths to self-employment and self reliance.
“All these efforts are towards producing self-reliant, competent, skilled young boys and girls, increasing employment opportunities and providing alternative routes of creating jobs for Lagos youths”, he said.
The state government, he said, realizes the challenges of TVET at every level, including problems of standards and quality, poor resource mobilisation, low esteem of TVET practitioners, low investments by private sector in TVET, poor public perception and low enrollment in TVET institutions.
KELECHI EWUZIE