Empowering the Youths through Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for Effectiveness Small Scale Metal Working Industries in North Central State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The mass mobility of schools graduates into menial jobs in the absence of government white-collar jobs in north central Nigeria has become a thing of major concern. Although this development is not completely unexpected in a country where government industries have been eroded through the annals of corruption and squander mania like Nigeria, what has become very surprising here is the fact that graduates of TVET institutions with their supposed acquisition of high level skills and man power development, also join the band wagon of roaming the streets in search of government jobs thereby perpetrating various forms of social vices instead of creating jobs for themselves and others in the society. In view of this development, it has become imperative to embark on a discussion like this in order to proffer solutions to this ugly development. The paper examined the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the empowerment of the youths for the purpose of reducing youth unemployment and under-employment, and their attendant social vices in the society. The major focus of the paper include; the challenges of TVET as a centre-hub for propelling youth empowerment in North-Central Nigeria and the implications of TVET challenges to the small-scale metal working industries in North-Central Nigeria. The following were among the recommendations: government should review her current policy on TVET in order to key-in properly into the on-going world reform on preparing TVET educators for the next generation; TVET should be made compulsory for all the youths in Nigeria after secondary schools. This is to ensure that they acquire functional skills for self reliance in the society.