Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Special Adviser to Gov Dapo Abiodun on Technical and Vocational Education, Prof Joseph Odemuyiwa has said that at least over 20,000 youths have benefited from the various skills acquisition programmes of the present administration in the state.
Prof Joseph Odemuyiwa also lauded the unrepentant commitment of Gov Abiodun to revamping technical and vocational education in the state saying that the governor’s massive investment and attention to this critical sector of our development has remained unrivalled since 47 years ago when the state was established.
Speaking during media chat held in his office recently, Odemuyiwa disclosed that the technical and vocational education sector in the state prior to the coming of Gov Abiodun was in shambles and comatose, plagued with inconducive environment for training, lack of technically trained instructors all of which helped to paint vocational training as one for the riffraff.
He added that the neglect of this sector has therefore given rise to unemployment and the attendant increase in anti-social vices saying that it was in a bid to confront this challenge that Gov Abiodun created the office of the Special Adviser on Technical and Vocational Education.
Odemuyiwa explained that education is incomplete if it cannot put food on the table of the people, disclosing that this reality underscores the importance of technical and vocational training through which people acquire skills in various discipline and thereby becoming self reliant and economically viable to also contribute their quotas to the development of the country.
He explained that as part of determined efforts to turn around the moribund fortunes of technical and vocational education in the state, over 200 technically trained staff have been injected into the state owned Technical Colleges that could hardly boast of 20 of such highly trained personnel prior to the coming on board of Gov Abiodun.
Prof Odemuyiwa revealed that some Principals and teachers of these Technical Colleges have been sent abroad, precisely Germany for further training and exposure while lots of collaborative efforts with relevant stakeholders, companies and foreign partners have been established to further make technical and vocational training more productive in the state.
The Governor’s aide explained that this was in addition to the rehabilitation of the Technical Colleges in the state and acquiring of workshops with modern tools that could help in impacting requisite knowledge to the students.
He declared that in response to the mandate as given by Gov Abiodun who strongly desired that youth in the state must be gainfully employed, over 20,000 youths had in the last three and half years been trained under various skills acquisition programmes of the present administration.
Speaking on the second term bid of Gov Dapo Abiodun, Odemuyiwa said “the reality is that the governor has done so much across all the sectors; education, health, agriculture, housing, road infrastructure, security, youth empowerment and job creation among others.
“You can see what happened last Saturday, February 25 with our party, APC clearing everything. March 11 governorship election is also not going to be different by God’s grace. The governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has worked for this and deserve another term so that all the good works can continue beyond May 29, 2023”.