Director General, Delts State Bureau of Orientation, Barrister Eugene Uzum, has said technical education is key to the fight against unemployment in the country.
Barrister Uzum made the assertion when he led some principal officers of the Bureau on a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Education in Asaba.
He maintained that white collar jobs were no longer readily available for the ever growing products of the present educational system in the country, adding that the possible way out was an urgent paradigm shift to vocational and technical education which would ensure that products of the system were not only self employed, but employers of labour.
The DG said it was unfortunate that most parents looked down on technical education, stressing the need to sensitise and reorient the populace on the danger inherent in mere acquisition of certificates that could hardly guarantee job opportunities for the holders.
He said the Bureau of Orientation was saddled with the onerous task of not only moulding public perceptions of the state government’s policies and programmes, but also marketing such policies and programmes by partnering with the Ministries and Extra Ministerial Departments in the state.
While congratulating Honourable Ikolo on her appointment as the pioneer Commissioner for Vocational and Technical Education in the state, Barrister Uzum posited that Governor Okowa made the right choice in the appointment of the commissioner.
He solicited the collaboration of the Ministry with the Bureau towards the realisation of the set goals of the two establishments in areas of common interest.
Responding, the Commissioner, Honourable Gbubemi Ikolo, thanked Barrister Uzum for the visit, saying that it was timely, considering the need to build a strong advocacy machinery to change the wrong perceptions of some parents about technical education.
She decried the lack of awareness about the benefits of technical education in the country, noting that while many Nigerians with mere paper qualifications were roaming the streets in search of non existing white collar jobs, foreigners from mostly neighbouring countries with the requisite technical depth were being employed due to their competence and capacity which was necessary for high productivity.
Honourable Ikolo promised to partner with the Bureau to increase enrolments into the Vocational centres and Technical Colleges across the state.
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