By Kirsten Okenwa
The youth of this country have the potential to shape its future. But, how employable are they? How educated are they? Do they have the core skills necessary to excel in employment and win in everyday life? I have heard employers say that many young people they recruit cannot write coherently nor show any distinction in speech that education provides.
In March 2018, the World Bank in a report tagged: ‘Learning to Realize Education’s Promise’ revealed that 80% of Nigerian adults who have had primary education cannot read or write. The report said: “Among young adults in Nigeria, only about 20 percent of those who complete primary education can read.” Also, amongst many students and graduates of today, the same can be said of their lousy reading and writing skills. Some people may argue that not everyone is cut out for excellent reading and writing. True, but we can have schools place emphasis on reading and writing skills. Teachers may be overwhelmed with tasks but careful planning can go into this area.
In a core skills course I took with a UK-based organization, I learnt that children and young people need so much more than just knowledge and qualifications to be successful. They need skills like resilience, creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and problem-solving. They need to learn how to navigate digital citizenship, build strong relationships, and maintain positive mental health. Not to mention, they need to develop a sense of purpose, self-awareness, and a growth mindset. And, of course, they need to be encouraged and supported by their families, teachers, and communities.
Soft skills or core skills are general traits not specific to any job, helping employees excel in any workplace. They also include budgeting, communication, teamwork, and adaptability, often termed as transferable or interpersonal skills. They’re essential for professional success.
Learning these core skills or soft skills (interchangeable) must be included in our school curriculum. Our society places much emphasis on academic results, and often neglects the areas of core skill acquisition necessary in any vocation, trade or career. These essential skills development can start at an early age, extend beyond the school gates, and continue all the way through employment because most times as youths enter the labour market, they often find themselves ill-equipped with the skills employers seek.
The challenge lies in addressing the skills “knowledge” gap, where young individuals are unaware of the skills required for future employment opportunities. Soft skills are also behavioral and interpersonal skills that relate to how effectively people interact with others and handle situations. In the case of the first story I shared on the young staff at the optician’s office, there is clearly a need for all the staff to be trained in effective interpersonal skills.
Our youth have the potential to solve problems, create innovative new solutions, and facilitate constructive relationships between peers of diverse groups and ethnicity. However, to realize this potential our education systems have to support young people to develop the knowledge, skills and values they need to live and work in a globalized economy and to contribute responsibly, both locally and globally. Beyond knowledge and qualifications, children and young people need to learn skills like creativity, critical thinking skills, time management, and a strong sense of ethics.
Of course, employers value subject knowledge, but nowadays, they are placing a much greater premium on the need for soft skills to sit alongside that subject knowledge than they have in the past. It is these core skills that students are struggling to demonstrate because very few education systems are focused on giving students the opportunity to develop them.
I have had several observations that once students have a set of skills, acquiring knowledge and qualification also becomes easier. However, if these skills are compromised it leads to gaps in the longer run. Hence, schools ought to focus more on these skills as well as the academic curriculum.
In the Nigerian education system, this may be a tall order but one can only hope that the leaders across our education sector begin to incorporate core skills acquisition into the curriculum because if students are never taught what these skills are and how to specifically use them, we cannot expect them to randomly pick up these traits and excel in the labour market. Even young people with entrepreneurial inclinations, those that work towards being self-employed, need these skills.
A friend of mine who read part of this article before it was published, snorted in derision when she got to the part where I advocated for education leaders of our country to revise and include core skills acquisition in the curriculum. She said that will happen “When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” (quoting from Shakespeare’s Macbeth).
My friend thinks I am wishing for a moon by expecting school leaders and the government to collaborate and include the learning of core skills in the curriculum. It may not be impossible; though a huge step for our educational sector. Employers can bridge this skills gap while we wait for the government.
In an article by Charlee Salmelin, she noted that employers can play a crucial role in addressing the skills gap among young people. They have a responsibility to identify the skills and competencies needed in the labour market and actively participate in the training and development of youth.
As I have seen done by the mobile network MTN in several universities, the company collaborates with educational institutions in the training of youth to align their required skills with the job market. By providing input on the skills needed for specific industries or sectors, employers can contribute to designing relevant and practical training programs. By contributing to the design of relevant and practical training programs and offering internship and apprenticeship opportunities, young individuals can gain hands-on experience and enhance their employability.
Some people may still ask: what in the world do some Nigerian youths want? A young man I know answered succinctly: “We want opportunities to learn, grow and excel. My friends and I want to learn more digital skills. It is assumed youths know a lot about technology but we want to continue to learn and develop more digital powers so we can compete in this time of science and technology.”
Other youths may call for help in the areas of technical skills acquisition. As a nation, we need more trained electricians, plumbers, and mechanics. Some globe trotters have noted that these are high-paying jobs abroad.
As a songwriter aptly wrote, “It only takes a spark to get the fire burning, soon all those around will warm up to its glowing…” That’s how it is with creating a system that encourages growth and development. The fire of progress spreads. Youths come down from their high horses to learn and excel in life. Employers get excellent service from employees, and society is enriched as a whole. Indeed, it’s not too much to wish for.
Kirsten is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in several non-profit organizations. Trained as an industrial chemist, Kirsten is also an expert in food systems and the agricultural sector and runs a growing manufacturing venture. Outside work, she loves to share songs and her poetry with kids in schools and hospitals.
