By Ademola Orunbon
The Ogun state government has reiterated its commitment to the development of skills and vocational education, given the importance of youth development and job creation.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu stated this at the MDAs Stakeholders’ Forum On Ogun Job Centre Employment Services And Certificate Of Skills Training, held at Obas’ Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital.
The programme jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in conjunction with the Ogun State Skills Fund (OSF) and Ogun State Skills Qualification (OGSQ), Prof. Arigbabu noted that it was imperative to acquire skills jobs, in order to be more relevant in the society.
“Indeed, it is very important to be skills relevant in the country today, so as to reduce the “Japa” syndrome in the country, and Ogun state is the only state that has job skills centre that spread across the three Senatorial Districts of the state,” Prof. Arigbabu said.
The Skills Specialist, Ogun State Skills Funds, Engr. Segun Fatoki revealed that the centre provides sustainable services such as, linking seekers to employers, legal migration, availability of equipment and power supply, support by donor agencies, National and International recognised certification, business training services to micro and small businesses and funds to train more people.
He noted that the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) was a system for the development, classification and recognition of skills knowledge, understanding and competencing acquired by an individual irrespective of where and how training was acquired.
Also, GIZ Technical Advisor, Godwin Obhiyegbobu, said the programme was a joint initiative on establishment of the state job centre, capacity building of personnel on career guardiance, employment services, noting that equipping of the job centre with modern IT equipment and work tools at the work hub for vocational skills training was part of the programme.
“With support of the German and Swiss Government funded project-skills development for youth employment (SKYE) programme in Nigeria-implemented by GIZ is the involved in training of the skill acquisition of the people,” Obhiyegbobu said.
The Senior Programme Officer OSF, Mr. Kazeem Ogungbe analysed the core values of the job centres to include, integrity, accountability, personal growth, fairness, creativity, ethics and team spiritedness, adding that the current administration was committed to providing quality standard of living for its citizenry.
