Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has approved the immediate establishment of three additional technical colleges, increasing the number of Technical and Vocational Colleges in the state from five to eight.Deputy governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule disclosed the approval during the 2016/2017graduation ceremony of the five technical colleges, held recently at Agidingbi, Ikeja.
According to Adebule the three new colleges, which would be sited in Alimosho, Ibeju and Badagry, would further help develop youths and unemployed graduates to acquire new skills and opportunity that would help them to create jobs and be self reliant.
She noted that technical and vocational skills are crucial to achieving self-reliance and sustainable economic growth under the present economic recession. She added that the state government has invested heavily in the development of technical and vocational education because of the recognition of the need to explore and exploit the positive impact of technical and vocational education in the production of high quality technical skills for the provision of quality services and development.
“The fact remains that the best way by which we can help create employment opportunities, stimulate economic growth in our state and nation and alleviate poverty is to equip our youths with skills by which they can use in creating jobs for themselves and become self reliant,” Adebule stated.
While congratulating the 1,324 graduating students from the five Technical Colleges, the deputy governor, urged them to justify government’s huge investment in technical and vocational education by maximizing the training they have received to impact on good service delivery and economic fortune of the state.
Justifying the reason for focusing on technical and vocational education as a strategy for economic growth, Adebule disclosed that reliable findings indicated that Lagos state has the nation’s highest population of people less than 25 years of age presently.
She explained that by 2025, Lagos would be home to around 20 percent of the nation’s population age 24 and below, adding that the implication of the findings is that government must be ready to create jobs every year for the next two decades so as to be able to arrest social unrest and youth restiveness.
“Equipping students and workers with the right skills is the first step towards creating more jobs and better jobs with stronger skills, better career
prospects and academic progression,” the Adebule stated.
The deputy governor hinted that apart from the five existing Technical Colleges and the three newly approved, the state also have 53 vocational training and skills acquisition centres, where youths, housewives and the army of unemployed graduates have been placed on regular training for one skill or the other, adding that the Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund was also created to encourage youths with skills to have access to loans with which they can use to open their businesses.
Earlier in her welcome address, Chairman, Technical and Vocational Education Board, Mrs Omolara Erogbogbo charged the graduates to maximize the full advantage of technology in their various areas of specializations to render quality services to the people and create wealth.
According to her, it is in the realization of the technical and vocational education to economic recovery that compelled the state government to make huge investment in the area.“Use your acquired knowledge and skills to bring positive changes to the economy of the state and the nation in general,” she said.
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