Repositioning Vocational and Technical Education for effective manpower production in Nigeria

Abstract

To meet the challenges of technological change that can support economic growth and to guarantee equal access to opportunities and employment, Vocational and Technical Education must be available to a substantially greater proportion of young people and adult alike. In this paper Vocational and Technical Education has been identified as the most reliable veritable vehicle that can be used in preparing skilled manpower for the nation. Major constraints to vocational and technical education such as historical legacy from colonial rule, societal attitudes government lip service to vocational education, lack of adequate teaching man power, problems of management and organization of VTE, relevance of curriculum, poor state of infrastructures and training equipment amongst others. The paper also made a number repositioning strategies for quality manpower production. These includes a general re-orientation of the concept of Vocation; re-organization and management of Vocational education; new capacity building strategy for Vocational teachers, new funding approach, collaboration with employers accreditation and automatic streaming of students among others. Keywords: Repositioning, Vocational and Technical Education, Manpower production