Duties and Achievements of the Vocational Unit in Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education
Vocational Education essentially is an education that prepares people for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels. Vocations are usually based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, related to specific occupation or trade.
However, as labour market becomes more specialized and economics demand higher levels of skill, the Federal Government mandated all the state Agencies for Mass Education to create a vocational unit to train learners from Adult literacy centres and to assist the Government in poverty alleviation and reduction of social hardship.
In view of the above, Vocational Training centre, Agege was established in the year 2002 in collaboration with UNICEF B field office.
Later, some of the materials given by UNICEF were used to establish more Vocational Centres at Imota-Ikorodu, Sabo Yaba, Igbogbo-Ikorodu, Agbenuba community in Agbado-Okeodo and Igbo-Oluwo community Ikorodu area in August 2012. Since then Agency has been trying her best to provide model equipment which is not adequately supplied.
The centres offer many trades on part time basis for interested learners between 10a.m. and 2:00p.m. Monday to Friday.
The centres offer many trades such as catering/hotel management, soap making, textile design, fashion/embroidery, event decoration and bead making, hairdressing and computer training are being offered.
Surulere Vocational Training centre was adopted from ideals girls high school mainly to prepare the Trainees and interested people for the Technical Education (NABTEB) examination.
Since inception, the centres have produced over five thousand (5,000) trainees; some of them are currently working with medium scale entries while others are self-employed.
The following are summary of trainees graduated from inception till date:
- 2002 – 203 graduands
- 2003 – 145 graduands
- 2004 – 210 graduands
- 2005 – 333 graduands
- 2006 – 471 graduands
- 2007 – 529 graduands
- 2008 – 574 graduands
- 2009 – 632 graduands
- 2010 – 774 graduands
- 2011 – 310 graduands
- 2012 – 258 graduands
- 2013 – 340 graduands
- 2014 – 396 graduands
- 2015 – 1,960 graduands
Though registration is still on, a total number of one hundred and fifty-five (155) has registered in Agege and Sabo Vocational Training Centres.
After the nine (9) months training, the trainees showcase their expertise through practical sessions, assessed by professionals (external) examiners from the state secondary schools, before the trainees are certificated.
Later, interested ones are enrolled with the Lagos State examination board to write the State Trade Test examination in grade I, II and III to strengthen their proficiency in catering, textile designing and soap making. In the year 2015, fifteen (15) of the learners from Agege Vocational Centre sat for the trade test examination in various trades and they came out with good result.
Some of the trainees in catering, hairdressing and fashion designing do go for industrial attachment for three (3) months to boost their ego and sometimes are restrained. In order to encourage and create awareness, vocational graduation is conducted yearly where award of excellence performance is given the best two (2) learners in each centre to augment the empowerment
