I'm writing this piece from a mechanic workshop. I keep wondering, sitting through, watching the mechanic guy fix the cars one after another, each costing thousands of Naira, just how much this guy makes a day with so many cars in waiting. This is a guy whom most of us who pride ourselves as graduates would address as "ordinary mechanic." But this guy is better placed in life than so many graduates I knew, including my humble self.
Being a graduation since 17 years ago, I have seen what follows after graduation. For five good years after graduation, I searched for jobs but with no success, even as no matter how my good qualifications looked on paper, they didn't seem to matter in the real world.
Frustrated with job hunting, I finally took matters into my own hands and started a business. Now, when I look back, with more than a decade of experience, I can tell anybody that a degree is not a promise to success in life. Yes, universities can teach you theories but when it comes to practical skills, they often fall behind.
I must say, were I to have learnt vocational skills after high school, I could be in a better place in life compared to today.
That is why I will encourage all the youth; if you have got 4 years, do not waste them on a degree which, perhaps, will not help you in later life. Learn the vocational skills and set yourself up for success. Let me explain why vocational education is smarter, based on observations and experiences.
Problem with University Degrees
Now, it's not just that the certificate doesn't represent practical competence-the bigger problem is that there certainly aren't enough jobs available to take in the number of graduates leaving school each year.
Year in and year out, the government has failed to create new jobs to absorb the masses of school leavers. The few that exist are fought over by millions of graduates every year. Little wonder I took 5 years doing interviews that led to no avail.
And for those who have the connection to get the job, the remuneration is a joke. Most employers take advantage of how desperate graduates are and offer them hungry wages. Is it a surprise that the able-bodied youth are fleeing the country in droves?
But our situation is further worsened because of a loss of a lead from the powers that be. If the government invested in the development of industry and the encouragement of the private sector, then perhaps activity wouldn't be so bleak. But they failed us.
Benefits of learning vocational skills
Whereas I was wasting years of suffering after university, I watched many of my friends who had taken on vocational skills as their trades early on live fulfilling lives that a person could only dream of. Those who trained to be welders, auto mechanics, hairdressers, and so forth. I regret waiting for a job that could never come.
Immediately after their vocational training was over, some were employed by the workshop owners while others started small organizations of their own skills. Before they knew it, they were self-sufficient and financially sound in their early twenties.
Meanwhile, I became a street wanderer with my useless degree and gained weight due to all that idleness. If I had known then what I know now, I definitely could have chosen a skill-driven career path.
Skilled workers are usually needed anywhere, since repairs and maintenance will always be needed. Unlike degrees, professional skills the earning power of a vocational trade is exorbitant; I have seen welders that earn more than graduates.
Recommended specific skills
Based on what I have seen happening to others in this complex financial system, here are some recommended skills I highly recommend being knowledgeable about:
Automobiles mechanic
I rarely spend a week without needing my car, or some family friend's vehicle, serviced. Not many mechanicals exist in town. As few as they are, mechanics remain highly in demand.
Electrical work
From fixing home wiring to maintaining generators, electricians can make a reasonable living right here. Power supply problems are already too common for us to analyze this alternative.
Welding & Fabrication
With all the construction going on, it means endless opportunities for welders. I have seen some simple fabricators owning fleets of trucks.
Cosmetology
Hair, nails and beauty are always in fashion. One can make a killing being a stylist, and it is easier to make it big in this trade than other vocational trades with long-term training.
Fashion Design
With our vibrant culture, fashion can never run out of style. Learn to make quality clothes and accessories and watch clients flock to you.
Quality and Potential of Vocational Training
If you invest four quality years into vocational study, you would have built expertise capable of competing favorably with international standards. I have seen products from Nigerian welders, chefs, and designers that can stand their own against top brands abroad.
With focus and passion, it would be very possible to become the best in one's field. Probably one day, even better than that imported products. Perhaps the training facilities are not world-class on the street, but one should not limit the potential.
Strong Call to Action
I encourage whoever still has time on their side to seriously consider vocational skills alongside university degrees if you must go to the university. Maybe our education system is pushing you down that way, but your future is yours to choose.
If you can spend the next four years mastering a trade, I will assure you that you will not roam around being jobless like me when I graduated.You will be financially independent, highly respected in your working places, and have many open opportunities.
Don't believe what the world says that office professionals are better than others. Skilled professionals are badly needed in this world from all walks of life. So if you have the time to learn one devotional skill and you have a good work ethic, any career path can take you far.
It is about time we do not go with the flow and forge our destinies for once. To those still in high school, my advice would be first to check out the vocational institutes for learning a skill rather than the automatic enrollment at university, your future self shall thank you for this.