VST Program: NIJ Students Learn Catering, Fashion Design, Blogging, Others

 

By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel

 

As a means to foster a sense of entrepreneurship and self-reliance among students, the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, has commenced its Vocational Skill Training (VST) program for the 2023/2024 academic session.

 

The program, facilitated by the institution’s Entrepreneurship Development Center, officially started on Friday, January 12th, following the resumption of the just concluded Yuletide holiday.

 

Every Friday, students are given a three-hour window to learn any chosen skill trade under experienced facilitators in the provided field. The skills offered under this program include fashion design, shoe making, beauty and cosmetics, copywriting, mobile photography, video editing, podcast production and hosting, graphics design, blogging, barbing, publishing, and catering.

 

According to the management, while NIJ is focused on traditional academic education on mass communication to equip students with theoretical knowledge, vocational training is an opportunity to enhance their practical skills and readiness for real-world challenges, especially in Nigeria, where the economic situation now bites hard.

 

Available data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate rose to 7.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2023, mainly affecting youth aged 15 to 24 years.

 

The Vocational Skill Training is part of the institution’s academic offering for every session, ensuring that every student has an opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential.

 

Speaking with one of the facilitators in the Barbing class, Olubode Anu Williams, he noted that students’ eyes need to be opened to the realities of the society they live in when it comes to handiwork.

 

“There’s opportunity everywhere, but it takes determination, diligence, and consistency to be a partaker, even with the various skill sets they’ve chosen,” he said.

 

To ensure an effective learning process for the VST program, all active students were issued a log book. They are expected to keep accurate, up-to-date, and detailed descriptions of their practical experience in their chosen trade or vocation.

 

Students are also expected to submit the logbook to the Entrepreneurship Center for end-of-the-semester assessment evaluation, which factors into their grading.