The Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has said that there is an urgent need for a technical and vocational education that is not only relevant but also responsive in the labour market.

Mbah stated this during the South-East and South-South Interregional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) forum, stressing that the idea would help solve unemployment and improve outputs.

The event was organised by the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), Enugu State chapter, with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State government, Chidiebere Onyia, said that the theme of the summit, “From Classroom to Careers; Revolutionising Technical Education for Regional Prosperity,” was critical and timely, especially given the growing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

“The need for technical and vocational education that is not only relevant but also responsive in the labour market demand has become even more critical now.”

“Across the regions, there is growing recognition that traditional academic pathways alone cannot address the employment needs of our growing youth population,” he stated

He said that the government of Enugu State is committed to technical education and has embarked on the construction of technical schools across the three federal constituencies in the state.

In his keynote address, the Director of the Catholic Institute of Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), Enugu, Prof. Obiora Ike, said that thousands of students who graduate from universities yearly are not assured of jobs because they do not have the on-demand skills required to be productive in the labour market.