FG urged to make skills acquisition compulsory for NYSC members

Mrs Pamela Latunji-Bello, the Chief Executive Officer, Spectrum Beauty Academy, Lagos, today Saturday called on the government to make vocational skills acquisition compulsory under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Latunji-Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that vocational training would equip young graduates to be self- employed instead of depending on elusive white-collar jobs.

“If the Federal Government should use part of the money paid to NYSC members in training them in the various vocations, it will go a long way in reducing unemployment in the country.

“Skills acquisition should be mandatory for NYSC members during the one year service; they must learn a trade or the other and use their monthly stipends as training fee.

“Because the vocations are where the money is,’’she said.

The entrepreneur stressed the need for compulsory capacity building for NYSC members

“The future of Nigeria lies in the skills of its workforce.

“If we do not train them, we are just giving money to people who will probably misuse it.’’

Latunji-Bello urged the nation’s policy makers to place more emphasis skills acquisition at all levels of the nation’s educational system.

“Let people stop seeing it as the pet project of wives of state governors that should be done at their spare time.

“It should be re-integrated into the school curriculum, every university should give it a push.

“Every Nigerian graduate should start thinking of having another profession or career,’’ she said.