The acting Provost, Federal College of Forest Resources Management (FCFRM) Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, Dr Mrs Ukamaka Ursulla has charged youths to embrace vocational skills to improve their livelihoods.
Dr. Ukamaka Ag. Provost, FCFRM Ishiagu Ebonyi State
Dr. Ukamaka who stated this recently at the institution, during the graduation of 57 students, trained by the College of various areas, maintained that vocational skills and craftsmanship is key towards adapting the economic hardship experience by youths, adding that white collar jobs sought by the teeming unemployed are no where to be found.
Mr. Udenkwere Miracle Onyedikachi HOD, Vocational Studies, FCFRM Ishiagu Ebonyi State
She decried the high rate of unemployment in the country, insisting that governments cannot employed everybody, hence, the need to acquire marketable skills like the ones offered by the College in order to self-employed or become employable.
The head of the institution who congratulated the graduands for their commitments while the training lasted, thanked their parents/guardians for investing their resources in their children.
Dr. Ukamaka described the training as apt and timely, adding that youths should be positively engaged to enable them shun social vices like drugs trafficking, armed-robbery, prostitution, and militancy, among others.
She further called on governments at all levels, Non Governmental Organization (NGO) and well-spirited individuals to invest on Human Capital Development like this, assuring that the vocational training and craftsmanship of the institution would be sustained.
In her words: “The various decision making bodies in Nigeria, critical stakeholders in the the South-East geopolitical zone and its catchment areas should seize this opportunity upscale and empower their youths efficiently”.
Meanwhile, the Head of Department Entrepreneurship and Vocational Studies Centre of the institution, Mr. Udenkwere Miracle Onyedikachi identified areas where the graduands were trained to include: Catfish breeding and production, snailry, Honeybee production and hive produces, Nursery establishment, Planation establishment, Horticultural and landscape design, Piggery, grasscuter production, Poultry management, Forest guards training, Silvicultural practices, Agroforestry establishment, Livestock feed formulation among others.
He also congratulated the graduands and urged them to put the knowledge they’ve acquired into good use
Mrs Anyim Malvis Amarachi, one of the graduating students from Catfish breeding and production department expressed joy and gratitude at the level of deep knowledge in practicals the study exposed her to know.
Responding, one of the graduands of the institution, Mrs. Anyim Malvis Amarachi, thanked Dr. Ukamaka-led management for the opportunity made available for them to be trained in their choice area of interest, adding that the most beautiful aspect of the vocational studies was that no formal educational certificate is needed to gain admission for any of the courses offered in Federal College of Forestry Resources Management Ishiagu.
