In a move to empower students and reduce unemployment among the youth, the Polytechnic, Ibadan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercrafts Professionals to provide practical training in various vocational skills.
The event, which was held at the Assembly Hall of the Polytechnic, saw the Skill Development Centre (SDC) of the institution forge this strategic partnership aimed at equipping students with market-relevant skills.
According to the Director of the SDC, Engineer Wakeel Abolaji, the collaboration will enable students from the Polytechnic to undergo hands-on training in fields such as Automobile Repairs, Electrical Installation, Masonry, Carpentry and Joinery, as well as Welding and Fabrication.
“This is a commitment to innovation, excellence, and the empowerment of youth in the country, and it will no doubt help reduce the unemployment rate among our young people,” Abolaji stated.
Representing the Rector, Dr. Abideen Lasisi Taiwo, the Deputy Rector, Princess Olaide Salawu, lauded the initiative, describing it as a historic development in the annals of the institution. She noted that the program will enable the youth to acquire valuable skills that will help them in life.
“TETfund has been of immense contribution to the advancement of education in Nigeria, and they are also sponsoring this skill acquisition program,” Salawu added, urging the Master crafts Professionals to ensure adequate training is provided to the students assigned to them, as it will be their contribution to the development of Nigeria.
The South West Zonal Director of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Ayodele Aroge, who represented the NBTE Director, Professor Idris Bugaje, said the collaboration is necessary as it will help transition the informal sector into the formal one, with the blessings of the NBTE.
Aroge also hinted that the Federal Government has approved the absorption of Trade 1 level 6 into the Federal Civil Service, further highlighting the importance of such skill-based initiatives.
The State Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Mr. Niyi Adebisi, commended the NBTE for the introduction of skill acquisition into the academic curriculum and congratulated the management of the Polytechnic Ibadan for this latest development.
In their separate remarks , leaders of the master Craft Professional commended the management of the Polytechnic of Ibadan for involving them in the skill acquisition for the youths and pledges adequate collaboration.
This partnership between the Polytechnic, Ibadan and Mastercrafts Professionals underscores the institution’s commitment to equipping its students with practical, industry-relevant skills that will make them competitive in the job market and contribute to the overall economic development of the country.
