BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI , AWKA
Anambra State Education Programme Investment Project (ANSEPIP) (World Bank Assisted) in collaboration with Kiara College /Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (IVM) has organized a 5 Day workshop for over 100 Technical College principals and teachers on education for employment with a view of bridging the gap between educational institutions and the industry in Nigeria.
Declaring the workshop open, the Anambra State governor Chief Willie Obiano represented by the State Commissioner for education, Prof. (Mrs) Kate Azuka Omenugha said the seminar geared towards bridging the gap between educational institutions and the industry in Nigeria noting that Anambra State government needed to ensure that Technical Colleges in the State received a major boost to allow them time to produce quality technicians that would be automatic job creators.
Gov. Obiano said as part of his administration resolved to aid development of technical education in the State announced free education for students in Junior classes adding that very soon building and renovation of schools repairing of government's broke -down vehicles would be sole responsibilities of the products of technical Colleges.
He charged the participants to key in to his education vision and mission statements which according to him, was to manage Anambra educational system as an asset and a catalyst for consistent human capacity improvement and to rely on a well motivated, responsive, professional workforce and state - of- the- art technology and also to sustain innovative and creative pedagogy as well as expanding the frontiers of Education to be top in terms of best practice and entrepreneurship.
Earlier in a remark, the Director (Planning, Research and Statistics ministry of education ) and project coordinator (ANSEPIP), Mr. Charlie Okeke urged the participants to replicate what they were taught to their students noting that the State was not ready to relinquished its first position to anybody even as he charged them to utilized the opportunity before them adding that it was the first time in the history of Anambra State such workshop would be organized.
In an interview, the World Bank consultant and the CEO of Kiara Group of companies comprises of Kiara College, Kiara Homes and Active Support and Care, Mr. Endi Ezengwa said he would bring his vast experience in work based Learning programmes which includes Apprenticeships, Entrepreneurship and Technical and Vocational Education to bear on the participants at the workshop.
His words, 'I successful manage Kiara College - a Vocational College that was contracted by the United Kingdom (UK) Skills Funding Agency to up skill the British workforce in various sector skills areas.
' I relocated to Africa as a consultant to African Development Bank, World Bank and the Federal government of Nigeria-developing the capacity of Technical and Vocational teachers and managers to ensure the production of fit - for - purpose graduates that are economically viable in local communities.
'Before my relocation to Africa, I travelled to 7 seven sub-Saharan countries (Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Gambia Sierra Leone and Nigeria to review existing Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) structures, 'he said.
Responding on behalf of the participants the Principal GTC Onitsha who doubles as the President, National Association of Principals of Science and Technical Colleges of Nigeria, Anambra State branch, Barrister Victor O. N. Iwuno thanked Anambra State government for organizing the workshop for them and assured that they would all put into practice what they were taught even as he described the workshop as apt and timely.
