The Cross River State Government has entered into a partnership with Highbury College, Portsmouth, United Kingdom to design a demand-driven curriculum for the state Polytechnic, which is billed to take-off in October.
The curriculum would ensure that graduates of the polytechnic are employable. Speaking at a Conference on World-Class TVET Eco-system Project in Cross River State in Calabar, Governor Liyel Imoke disclosed that the state was partnering the college because it is the best vocational institution in the United Kingdom.
Imoke described as un-acceptable, a situation where Nigerian universities churn out graduates, who are unemployable.
He noted that overtime, the quality of education in the country has nosedived, thus making it compelling for the kind of partnership the state was entering into with Highbury College if the trend is to be arrested.
Imoke remarked that government will not compromise on merit concerning the appointment of principal officers of the institution as to do so will be unhelpful to the cause of revamping the education sector.
According to him, "the reforms in the education sector is yielding result and there is need for us to work harder to better the result going forward", adding that, "we want to sustain the partnership and build on it, because the focus is to ensure Cross River State graduates are employable to make a difference in the economy."
The Principal/CE Highbury College, Portsmouth UK, Mrs. Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, who commended Imoke for his commitment to the development of the education sector, described the partnership as a new dawn that will make the difference in sector.
Mbubaegbu said the world is growing and is at the age of entrepreneurship and that the curriculum of the polytechnic will be designed to intertwine technical and vocation education training to boast entrepreneurship development.
Commissioner for Education, Prof Offiong E. Offiong, disclosed that the objective of the conference was to interact with stakeholders in the public and private sectors in creating a world-class TVET Eco-system based on market driven curriculum and accreditation.
The aim is to enable young people to own their businesses.
Via: Cross River State Government - Official Press Release
Cross River State is blessed with so many things so I'm not shocked @ their development so far. They've really improved!