By Abdulfatah Babatunde
A strong alliance between industries and academic institutions is key to producing industry-fitted graduates that can accelerate the nation’s economic development.
The Rector of Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech), Dr Ibrahim Abdul, made this remark during the maiden graduation of the “Telecom Access Foundation Programme” at Skillfort Training hub, on Friday in Lagos.
TheNewsZenith reports that Omnicom Solutions organised the training, in partnership with YabaTech and Summit University, Offa.
Twenty-nine students participated in the IT skill-based programme.
They graduated with certification in RF & Microwave technology, fibre optics solutions, network optimisation, renewable energy solutions and quality environmental health and safety.
Omnicom Solutions and Endow Africa sponsored the training programme.
Speaking at the event, the Rector said YabaTech was going to the industry.
“The gown is going to the town to ensure that we have the necessary alliance that ensures our graduates fit for the industry.
“We thank God that we are actualising what we intended. We planned to have a robust industrial alliance.
“And then we want to leverage on that industrial alliance to deepen the training of our students and that is happening here,” Abdul said.
The Rector highlighted the College’s plan to produce graduates fitted for industries that transcend beyond Nigeria.
According to him, some YabaTech students are in China to gain practical skills that would benefit the country.
“We have about another 25 of them that are in China to deepen their training in automobile.
“They will be there for about 18 months. We are spreading our dragnet to bridge that gap.”
Deputy Zonal Director of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr John Onyebuchi, lauded the initiative. He urged the students to continue to upskill.
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“For the students that have graduated today, they are fortunate. We want them to continue to upskill in these areas.
“They should continue to upskill so that they can become internationally acceptable and can measure up anywhere,” the Zonal Director said.
The Vice Chancellor of Summit University, Offa, Prof Musa Aibinu, also commended the initiative.
Aibinun said the combination of knowledge and skill makes graduates, “industry-fitted graduates”.
“This is a wonderful event because it’s no longer about certificates only.
“It is about complementing your certificate with skill. You know that with skill and without knowledge about it, you can damage many things.
“But with knowledge and skill, you are what we call industry-fitted graduates. So skills will make you what you call industry-fitted graduates,” the VC said.
Managing Director of Omnicom Solutions, Faheed Olajide, called on corporate bodies to work with players in the Tech industry to further benefit students in higher institutions.
“We intend to show the way. We know many companies are willing to embark on this journey.
“We call on them to work with us to benefit students undergoing training in various institutions across the country,” Olajide said.
He promised that Omnicom would retain some of the students. Other Tech partners, he said, have shown interest in employing them.
“Apart from us being able to take some of the students into our company, we have partners who have signified interest in absorbing some of the students.
“They have seen the students trained, not only through classrooms but through site works,” he stated.
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