Delta Earmarks N120m For Establishment Of New Vocational Centres

Delta government says it is earmarking N120 million for the establishment of new vocational education centres across the state

The Executive Chairman of Vocational Education in the State, Mr Smart Ikem, said this during the 2022 budget defence meeting with the State House of Assembly Committee on Education on Thursday in Asaba.

Ikem said that the institute was also proposing N200 million for servicing and training of staff for better service delivery.

”I wish to note that most of the instructors at the various vocational centres need training and retraining for capacity building to meet up with technical skills and the requirements from the National Board for Technical Education.

”This will also help to provide the mandatory training needed for accreditation purposes of the centres and their programmes,” he said.

Ikem said that the 2022 budget was geared toward vocational training and skills acquisition for youths to make them self-reliant, self-sufficient, deployable, and employable as well as entrepreneurs

According to him, the proposal is also taking into consideration the increase in vocational educational centres in the state and the attendant increment in enrolment figures of trainees, who are passionate in acquiring vocational skills for employment

On the implementation of the 2021 budget, Ikem said that the board was able to produce graduates in various vocations from the 10 functioning vocational centres in the state.

”The centres have been able produce a total of 862 graduates between January and June, while the second stream of July to December is ongoing.

”Additional six centres have been approved, out of which two will be coming on stream soon,” he said.

Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Charles Emetulu, who commended the board for its achievements, assured that the committee would look into their request.