The discrimination against polytechnic graduates
in both public and private sectors, has been described as unfair, and a call
has gone to the Federal Government to stop it.
The Vice-President, Lagos
Polytechnic Alumni Association, Mr. Olumuyiwa Olugbile, said this during the
empowerment and skill acquisition programme organized by the association for students
at the Ikorodu campus.
Olugbile who is the Chairman, Organizing Committee of
the programme, said it was unfortunate that university graduates were venerated
and paid higher salaries above their polytechnic counterparts. He said,
"It is high time the Federal Government stopped this dichotomy between
Higher National Diploma holders and university graduates. We need to develop
technical education. The neglect of technical education has been the bane of
our under-development. "Development of the modern economy rests on
technology. No country can develop without technical education." In order
to escape such discrimination, he said, he had to seek admission to the
university after he graduated from LASPOTECH to obtain higher degrees.
Olugbile, who said 200 students had benefited from the skill acquisition
programme, with 100 each drawn from its Isolo and Ikorodu campuses,
explainedthat it was becoming extremely difficult to get white- collar jobs,
thus students must begin to think of how they could create jobs for themselves.
"Through empowerment programme like this, students should begin to think
of how to create jobs for themselves after graduation and not looking for
white-collar jobs that are non-existent any more.
That is what we are telling
them by organizing this skill acquisition programme," he added. Resource
persons in fashion designing, cake baking and bead making were brought to teach
the students both practical and theory aspects of their vocation. Olugbile, who
said being educated would help the students in planning and organizing their
businesses better than illiterates, stated that the programme would be regular
as the association would work with entrepreneurship study centrein the
institution.
Also, the institution's Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez Abioye, advised the
students to take the training seriously and make the best use of it. Abioye, who
was represented by Deputy Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr.
Oluwasola Erinoso, added that the students should begin to think as employers of
labour, rather than job seekers. He said, "You should take whatever you
are taught here today by the facilitators seriously. Begin to think as
employers of labour and not as job seekers. That is the only way to create
wealth for yourselves."
A member of the organizing committee, Mr. Oriade
Olawale, explained that the alumni association had thought it wise to give back
to their Alma Mata, "because whatever we are today, the institution made
its own input into our lives." He said the members of the association made
financial and moral sacrifices to put the programme together.
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