ST 21

COREN ENGINEERING ASSEMBLY

IMPLICATIONS OF DEARTH OF SKILLED MANPOWER TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTEFFORTS OF LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT.
Engr. Olawumi Gasper FNSE mni
Executive Secretary- LASTVEB

INTRODUCTION
Lagos will be the 3rd largest megacity in the world by 2015 with a population of 25million people and is characterized by many investment opportunities that are attractive to investors be they local or foreign for domestic and foreign consumption. The economy of Lagos is continuously vibrant and being revamped to turn around the economy of the nation. There is the need therefore to put in place measures that would expand domestic production, boost exports, generate employment and implement industrial incentives to boost the growth of the non-oil sector.

INTRODUCTION
A quick-win in the nation is for each State Government to look at areas of comparative advantage in order to move the nation forward. Here lies the demand for youths, competent and skilled to operate and maintain these services. A major attraction therefore for siting investments in any country/State is the availability of skilled, competent and trainable manpower, preferably youths with minimal industry/field exposure.

TVE and Lagos Vision of Skilled Workforce Development The proactive development of youthentrepreneurs is one of the most lasting solutions to the problem of massive youth unemployment. It is an effective means of stemming or eradicating restiveness amongst the youths. When we have a critical and motivated mass of skilled youth-entrepreneurs the monster of unemployment might be a thing of the past.

TVE and Lagos Vision of Skilled Workforce Development

The vision of Lagos State Government therefore is to provide world-class vocational skills training and high quality technical education to Lagos youths desiring to acquire competences and aspiring to be skilled and seasoned entrepreneurs. Our mandate is that trainees are equipped and empowered with the mindset and practical skills required to become first class competent and technically skilled entrepreneurs creating wealth and offering employment to other youths. This will also afford them the platform through which aspiring youthentrepreneurs can access cutting-edge, practical strategies for sustainable business success.

TVE and Lagos Vision of Skilled Workforce Development

Skills gap therefore to drive the Lagos Vision has been identified by several studies as critical, especially in Engineering, Road Construction, Transportation, Power and Water Supply, Housing, Environment/Physical Planning as the global environment is changing rapidly. All these require a strong connection between the PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS for the production of High Quality Technical Skills to effectively deliver projects/programmes in these sectors. The following therefore were noted as imperative in the TVE reform. Extraordinary opportunities are offered by modern technologies, growing urban markets and advances in communication. Lagos State as the socio-economic hub of Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub-region has always blazed the trail in the provision of this enabling environment for trade, commerce and industry to thrive,

TVE and Lagos Vision of Skilled Workforce Development

One of the panaceas therefore to the provision of high quality technical skills for the actualization of the Lagos Vision is the redirection of our youths to Technical and Vocational Skills acquisition. This acquisition must lead to a qualification and a certification conferring a national recognition for employment or as an entrepreneur. This will foster technological entrepreneurship, while enhancing the establishment and growth of Small and Medium Enterprise, a precursor to industrial and technological development of Nigeria.

TVE and Lagos Vision of Skilled Workforce Development

It will also ensure a steady flow of skilled workers for the domestic industry and the actualization of the Lagos Vision. The City State hosts over 60% of the manufacturing/industrial sector, a major driving component of the States vision in job creation. However, such available jobs are only for young boys and girls with high quality technical skills. The journey therefore, towards transforming to a Model Africa Mega-City by 2015 will be signposted by economic reforms which are necessary and reflective of the kind of socio-economic progress we deserve. Noteworthy in the actualization of this vision is the role of

TVE and Lagos Vision of Skilled Workforce Development

However, it is important to note that the actualization of the Lagos Vision and its targets is hinged on the production of High Quality Technical Skills in large numbers, from the Technical Education sub-sector. It should also be noted that the actualization of eight of the above listed visions would require the expertise of Engineers, Technicians and more of Artisans/craftsmen. This becomes necessary because in the Engineering/Construction sector, there is an ever-increasing work responsibility overlap for each group from Artisans to Engineers. The ideal ratio between the four categories of skilled workers is as follows: Engineer 1 Technologist 2 Technician 4 Craftsman/Artisan 16 From the above, there should be a large pool of Artisans/Craftsmen to support the Lagos Vision and its respective targets. The skills training required to produce the required number of Artisans/craftsmen will be through our existing five Technical Colleges as prescribed by LASTVEB.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
There are huge markets in Power, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing, Infrastructural Renewal, Manufacturing, Healthcare and Tourism referred to as the PATH economic growth. All these require a strong connection between the private and public sectors for the production of High Quality Technical Skills to effectively deliver these projects/programmes. PATH for us in Lagos State is the easiest way to economic recovery, massive youth employment and poverty eradication.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Other abundant investment opportunities requiring a critical mass of competent and skilled youths abound in the following areas: i. Downstream activities of Oil and Gas Sector(Domestic production of LPG, manufacturing of cylinders, valves and regulators, production of petroleum jelly and grease, production of bitumen based water damp proof materials, small scale industrial and food grade solvents and chemicals and cosmetics) ii. Power and Steel(Rehabilitation and maintenance of power plants , development of energy infrastructure, construction of power stations, production of steam and gas turbine spare parts, repairs of transformers, iron, billet and light section mills) iii. Telecommunications and Electronics( Repairs of switching and transmission equipment, production of telecommunication cables, radio communications and cellular radio repairs, electronics appliances repairs and maintenance)

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
iv Rail Transportation(Conversion of wagon bearings, training on break systems, track maintenance, locomotive/electrical prime mover repairs) v Road Transportation(Maintenance of heavy duty trucks and haulage equipment, automobile repairs/maintenance, auto-mechatronics, auto-detailing and auto-recovery) vi Infrastructure upgrade, building construction and maintenance, environmental beautification and urban renewal vii Oil and Gas support services(welding of oil rig platforms, fabrication of pressure vessels, fabrication of buoys, ship repairs and maintenance, industrial painting and oil coatings, pipe-fittings, scaffoldings)

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
viii Water transportation(dredging and building of channels, construction of terminals and jetties, operation, repairs and maintenance of boats and ferries) ix Agriculture and agro-allied production x Information Technology support services(Software applications, networking, hardware repairs and maintenance and multi-media)

The platform therefore for attracting investments to the nation is weak. One of the key requirements for attracting investments is the availability of key technical manpower at the craftsman and technician levels.

Key strategic issues in tve

a. Non alignment of TVE with areas of comparative advantage b. Poor perception of TVE c. Poor quality of instructors training and ineffective training impact on students d. Absence of linkage between formal training institutions, Skills Acquisition and Vocational Centres. e. Poor linkage of TVE to the labour market. f. Lack of partnership and collaborations with industries. g. Absence of Industry Advisory Committee to assist in responding and adapting to changes by securing connections to the trades, industry and government.

Brazil rapid industrial expansion and vocational skills training

One of the secrets of Brazils rapid industrialization, is that in Brazil, vocational and technical education is expanding to meet demands of a booming economy. The number of Brazils technical institutes has nearly tripled over the last 8 years and many vocational trades have been introduced in line with emerging technologies. This expansion is considered vital for Brazil, a nation in desperate need of skilled workers. Brazils growing Oil and Gas sector requires a range of skilled professionals, including welders, electricians, fabricators, builders and Information Technology specialists. Also, Brazil is urgently trying to build the infrastructure necessary to handle rapidly increasing living standards, and to ensure that roads, airports, stadia and accommodation will be ready for the 2016 Olympics and the 2014 World Cup.

Brazil rapid industrial expansion and vocational skills training

Today, 401,000 students are in Federal Technical Institutes compared to 102,000 just nine years ago, 2.8 million youths are training as craftsmen and professionals under the National Industrial Training Service(SENAI) in a dual training(college and industry) and about 4.1million students in Brazils state- run technical schools. Most of the courses offered in the state-run technical schools are-telecommunications, electronics, information technology and computer networking, which is attractive to the youths. SENAIs run a wide range of industry needed courses in welding, fabrication, machining/spare parts production, mechatronics, automotive technology and electrical machine repairs.

Brazil rapid industrial expansion and vocational skills training

This sweeping expansion was started by Luiz Lula da Silva, Brazils President from 2003-2010, himself a factory worker and Union Leader before graduating into politics. Lula identified and understood that the country needed more craftspeople to compete globally. When Lula assumed power, there were 140 technical institutes, but now there are 401, with 150 more before the end of the year. Technical and Vocational institutes in Brazil, develop their programmes around the demand of surrounding industries and local job markets. Again only 11% of the total population aged 18-24 goes to Higher Education. Through all these reforms in Technical and Vocational Education, Brazil emerged second after Korea and leading Norway in the last World Skills Competition.

Achieving The Lagos Vision

Need for quality and well experienced teachers/instructors Support of Industry Based trainers Re-training of teachers through project challenges Production of high quality industry-ready-to-work technical college graduates Stronger industry college collaboration Competence mapping Regular value addition by industry partners to curriculum Integrating artisans training/SAC trainings to college curriculum SL-MATP/GV-ESTP Developing a qualification and certification matrix acceptable to the industry

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Each State to commence programmes that will motivate and re-direct the army of youth school leavers and graduates who are unskilled, agitated, unemployable and unemployed into a structured competence-based training between 9-24months leading to international certification(City and Guilds, NVQ, IWI etc) to avoid discrimination from employers who are mostly foreign investors. Each State to reposition its Technical and Vocational institutes and harmonise the activities of all Skills Acquisition/Vocational Centres and Technical Colleges at the Local Government and State levels, with a regulating body(LASTVEB,BOTVED etc) coordinating all TVE issues in the states. Trainings will be offered to the youths at these upgraded centres/colleges.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Each State to appoint a seasoned, well respected industrialist with a wide network of industry associates, passionate about youth skills development to offer leadership at the State level as Chairman Industry Advisory Council. Youth skills development requires a strong buy-in of industry partners for sustainability. Each State Governor in the region to assist with a take-off fund for the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and facilities in each of the centre/colleges. The fund will also be required for offering industry exposure and experiences to the teachers/instructors in the colleges, who are to be deployed as trainers.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Each State to mount a State wide advocacy/awareness programme on TVE as an alternative path to wealth creation, so as to attract youths from respective states into vocational trainings with a view to producing at least 2000 competent youths with international certification in the following suggested areas: (i) automotive Mechatronics (ii) welding/fabrication (iii) spare parts production/machining (iv) industrial air-conditioning (v) electrical machine repairs (vi) electronics appliances repairs and instrumentation (vii) construction trades(plumbing, carpentry/joinery, Blocklaying/tiling, site engineering works) (viii) software applications (ix) landscaping and environment aesthetics.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES Each State to develop a trade to a high standard in a centre/technical college so as to receive accreditation as a centre for international certification assessment in the region. COREN to assist in forging collaboration with industries to attract partnerships, resources and facilitators to the centres/colleges, monitor and provide information about exit opportunities posttraining.

THANK YOU