The Federal Government has announced the introduction of a School-to-Work scheme aimed at equipping young school learners with life-long skills and entrepreneurship for self-reliance.
Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), who revealed this on Thursday said that the scheme is targeted at junior secondary school learners and is designed to provide them with the opportunity to detect early in life where their talents and potential lie, between academic pursuit and vocational skills development.
According to Bobboyi, the scheme is expected to produce generations of school leavers who are productive, self-employed, and contributing to the economic well-being of the country.
He emphasised the importance of the scheme in preventing the wastage experienced after junior secondary school education, where those who are not academically inclined have no skills for sustenance.
“The School-to-Work scheme will provide at least six months of training, broken into two months per year of study in the junior secondary school. The basics of a variety of trades will be taught, enabling learners to specialize in their chosen trades after completing junior secondary education.”
The Director Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Davies, highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts from the Federal, State, and Local Government levels, as well as active involvement from the private sector, for the successful implementation of the program.
She emphasised that the scheme is designed to prepare youths for various opportunities in work-related environments and commended UBEC for putting together the program, which aligns with the goal of the current administration’s initiative for a more inclusive and robust education system.
