Developing the Youth through Technical Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria is a country characterized with natural resources in its abundance which can cater for the well-being of the citizens, yet the citizens especially the youths are living below poverty level as many are victims of unemployment and cannot offer meaningful and positive contribution to the development of the nation. The unemployment rate is as a result of the abandonment of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) that can offer skills to the youths for self-reliance and employment. In this vein, this paper seeks to address how a developed TVET programme can develop the youths in order to build the nation for sustainable national development in Nigeria. The following outlines provide a guide to the content of this paper; the concept of sustainable development, the meaning of TVET and its role in sustainable development, how to develop TVET for sustainable development in Nigeria. Others were the definition of youth and the concept of TVET for youth development. The researcher suggests that TVET can be developed for sustainable development in Nigeria through making a flexible TVET policies, establishment of TVET special training centres on local basis, improvement of the linkages between training institutions and the industries, provision of adequate training facilities, giving of grants to individual who successfully complete TVET training, granting of soft loans to established business, establishment and effective management of financial institutions such as Micro-Finance Banks, Bank of Industries (BOI), employment in both public. The implementation of these strategies will enhance the development and sustainability of TVET programmes in Nigeria. Based on the discussion made in this paper, the study recommends that the period of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should be converted to be a compulsory training period for all graduates on different types and kinds of TVET skills, For non-graduates youths, there should be a skill training organized and supervised through government agencies such as Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and other commissions, Government should grant soft loan to those venturing into TVET as this will enable the establishment of the acquire skills. Also, loan should be given to graduates who have completed a training programme for easy establishment.