The Federal Government has commenced the process of full implementation of Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) in the Colleges of Education (CoEs) to enhance self-reliance and employability of graduates of the institutions.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who disclosed this at a workshop on NSQF in Colleges of Education (Technical), said skill acquisition remains critical in reducing unemployment rate in the country.
Represented by the Director, Special Duties, Zubairu Abdullahi, the minister expressed optimism that implementation of the programme in the colleges would not only benefit the community and the immediate environment, but also contribute to the training of skillful National Certificate of Education (NCE) graduates.
He commended the efforts of the National Council for Colleges of Education (NCCE), as well as the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to extend the implementation to colleges.
“This initiative will support the Renewed Hope agenda of President Tinubu in producing self-reliant graduates,” he said.Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education, Prof. Paulinus Chijioke, said the commission has to bring students of Colleges of Education (Technical) on board and afford them the opportunity of keying into the framework.
He said: “We are highly inspired by this initiative because our graduates will not only be qualified to teach at the basic education level, but will also be equipped with employability skills for self-sufficiency and significant by
Chijioke noted that from last year when the idea to introduce NQSF in CoE system was mooted to date, some activities leading to the successful implementation of the programme have been carried out.
According to him, the workshop was aimed at acquainting the target group, Provosts and Desk Officers, with the modalities and strategies for the seamless take-off and implementation of the NQSF Programme in the colleges. He lauded the Provosts for keying into the programme and sponsoring their staff to attend the training despite the obvious security challenges and economic situation of the country.
Chijioke noted that the NQSF programme is designed for the development, classification, and recognition of skills, knowledge, understanding, and competencies acquired by graduates from the training institutions.
He further explained that the framework gives a clear statement of what learners have to do; and how to do it, irrespective of whether learning occurs in a conventional classroom, on the job, or less formally.
