Employment In Nigerian: Job specific skills the market want

The types of job we see this days is a clear departure from what it used to be and the type of skills that one need to fit into this jobs are more specific and demands one form of tech or the other to fill.

What is taught in schools?

Unfortunately, the makeup of our curriculum doesn’t have provision for such job specific skills. Jobs are appearing that didn't exist few years ago and more people will find themselves out of jobs not just because of less academic qualification but because of requisite skill that this new form of job requires.

A better approach

Why do our schools focus more on teaching theory than practical? When a child is taught the multiplication table, what use is it to the child if he is not told for example that when he needed to put together 4 sets of 10 sweets that he does not count each, but only needs to multiply 4 by 10 to get 40 sweets. Contemporary pedagogy is only effective if there is a clear understanding of the power and efficacy of the tech tools that are available.

The next move

Nigeria needs to move with the changing times; sadly many of our schools are trailing behind technologically. Without holistic forms of education, no-one is going to make the link between science and mathematics, or understand how art or music has influenced history. We need to get this fact right, that computer aided learning is better appreciated when used as a tool to facilitate the learning of other subjects but not necessarily as a subject on its own.

The type of job specific skill the employment market will pay for

Technology is now being used to train medical doctors, the military, Security agents, Economics, athletes, farmers, etc. Policy makers should look at the education guideline; does it meet with present day reality? Does it hope to produce professionals in various fields or just a way to jam information into the minds of learners?

Ultimately, to be eligible and to be the best candidate for employment you must be able to:

1. Use computer-based technologies to manipulate, create, store and retrieve information to express ideas and communicate with others by developing the following skills:

• Word Processing-i.e. Microsoft Word
• Graphics i.e. Paint, Coral Draw
• Multi-media i.e. PowerPoint

2. Use computer-based technologies to locate, access, evaluate, store and retrieve information and to express ideas and communicate with others by developing the following skills:

• Internet- i.e. using search engine like Google
• Email- i.e. Yahoo Mail

3. Use computer-based technologies to locate, access, evaluate, store and retrieve information.

• Spreadsheets i.e. Microsoft Excel
• Databases i.e. Microsoft Access

Media: jscreationzs