The Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta (ABCOAD), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have partnered to strengthen competency-based training in rice processing and bridge the skills gap among Nigerian graduates.
The partnership is part of the Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR II) project, which aims to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), particularly in agriculture and agro-processing.
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The initiative features a three-day capacity-building workshop for master trainers on competency-based training in rice processing, scheduled for Oct. 21 to Oct. 23 at Alhamsad Rice Mill, Kano.
Speaking at the workshop, ABCOAD Provost Hassan Ibrahim,called for stronger collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners to equip graduates with the practical skills employers require. require
Ibrahim said many graduates left educational institutions without the practical competencies needed in the workplace, stressing the need to align training programmes with industry requirements.
He said the partnership would strengthen vocational education and improve graduates’ employability by ensuring that students acquired relevant, industry-oriented skills.
The provost commended UNESCO and industry partners for supporting skills development and youth employment.
He said the college was committed to sustaining the initiative beyond the project period through stronger partnerships with industry stakeholders.
Ibrahim added that such collaboration would enable industry requirements to inform curriculum development and training delivery.
He urged participants and other stakeholders to contribute to achieving the objectives of the programme, expressing optimism that the workshop would improve the quality of vocational training in rice processing.
Declaring the workshop open, the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Science and Technical Schools Board, Prof. Dahiru Saleh, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening technical and agricultural education through modern equipment and skills development programmes.
Saleh said the initiative would promote practical skills by integrating technical education with agricultural practices and industry requirements.
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He said the participation of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), ABCOAD, industry partners and UNESCO demonstrated a collaborative approach to improving vocational training.
According to him, stakeholders participated in developing the training manual, which would undergo scrutiny by the NBTE for certification under the National Skills Qualification (NSQ) framework.
He said the certification process would ensure that the training materials met the required standards for competency-based skills development.
Saleh commended the Kano State Government for providing modern agricultural equipment to support practical training in educational institutions.
He listed a combine harvester, tractor and planter among the equipment provided to Government Technical College to enhance hands-on learning and equip students with skills relevant to modern agriculture and agro-processing.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, called on experts and stakeholders to contribute to the review and validation of the training manual developed to strengthen competency-based training in rice processing.
Bugaje, represented by Rukayya Rabiu, said the manual was designed to translate National Occupational Standards (NOS) into practical learning materials for trainers and trainees.
He said the standards covered rice processing and were intended to support certification under the NSQ framework.
According to him, the standards needed to be developed into comprehensive training manuals to facilitate effective instruction and ensure that learners acquired the required competencies.
He said the draft manual was presented for review and validation by experts and other stakeholders before its adoption for training programmes.
Bugaje urged participants to identify gaps, suggest improvements and make recommendations to enhance the quality of the document.
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He expressed optimism that the exercise would produce a comprehensive manual to support effective skills development and facilitate the certification of trainees under the NSQ framework.
NAN