FG Take Steps To Eliminate Dichotomy Between HND & B.Sc

In a bid to put an end to the division between polytechnic and university graduates, the Federal Government is soon to introduce a National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF).

This decision was made public by the Rector of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr. Margaret Ladipo. She disclosed that the Federal Government has a plan to close the gaps, at the 30th pre-convocation news briefing on Wednesday in Lagos. While stating that the framework was still being formulated by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and would be adopted as soon as the paper work was concluded.
Ladipo affirmed with this framework, polytechnic graduates would sit for an examination which would qualify them to be equal with their university counterparts.

In her words: “The Federal Government is working on the framework, the unions are also working on it and very soon, everything will be okay.

If you go to developed countries, the framework is the way to end disparity between the HND and B.Sc.

It is all about competency in education and on the job.

Once you are skilled, if you have HND, by the time you take the NVQF examination and if you are more skilled than the person with the B.Sc., you are better,’’

She also siezed the moment to point out that without skilled manpower, no country could develop while maintaining that developed countries are yet facing the need to have skilled manpower to drive their economy.

“The disparity will eventually be removed and there will be no problem again.

For lecturers, they are not happy about the disparity because they are all parents and want the disparity to be removed.

I want to assure that the only way it can be removed is to embrace skills acquisition.

Yabatech is a centre for the United Nations Entrepreneur and Vocational Centre (UNEVOC) established to improve the skills of our youths.

When our graduates pass through the centre, they do not have to look for white collar jobs,’’ Ladipo said.

The rector also reiterated that the process for the upgrade of institution to a degree awarding institution was ongoing while adding that a committee had visited the college to assess the facilities and staff strength even as they witness much improvement on the area of manpower as it were. Ladipo therefore noted that many of the lecturers were Ph.D and Masters Degree holders.