Entrepreneurship and self employment, evolving and trending stronger than ever in the global economic space, continuously reposition the national economies that objectively reshape the world economy. The process of economic empowerment and advancement of youths is truly actualised in the society by innovatively grooming prospective, would-be, and future entrepreneurs for the efficient realisation of macroeconomic contributions made through several and respective efforts that target improving national economic efficiency (gross domestic product, GDP).
On the part of the government, this can be realised and sustained as their primary responsibility for good governance, by coming to terms with actualizing the economic goals inherent in vocational skills. When one considers various vocations in society, the daily economic and commercial activities would practically not hold if these outlined ancillary services are not skillfully and successfully carried out on a daily basis. This is because, the value chain of every economic activity finds root in the expertise exhibited by the numerous service providers in all vocations. It is also important to point out that the aim of every vocational skill is driven by an attractive natural urge to make profit on one part by business owners with capitalist tendency; and to also fulfill a very vital social responsibility of proving and securing a legitimate means of livelihood.
The practical hands-on skills position the trainees (especially the unemployed youths that flood the labour market after graduation, both from secondary and tertiary institutions) in various jobs and trades, a few among them being carpentry, fashion designing & tailoring, plumbing works, computer programming, cosmetology, culinary arts in catering services, auto repair, electrician work, IT support for technology focused vocations, creative and entertainment fields, hairdressing, agriculture/farming and animal husbandry. The above listed jobs and trades are included among the vocational training skills that are in the numerous fields of business operated by economic actors. In a place like Anambra State of Nigeria, for instance, the ongoing governor’s initiative known as the “one youth two skills” programme, involves all of the above stated skills; and the trainees benefitting from the economic programme are meant to be successfully trained and fully equipped with vocational skills at various centers in the state. Here the trainees are subjected to real live practical sessions and are offered specialised education that provides the youths with practical skills for specific trades that would enable these young entrepreneurs flourish in their various vocations once they pass out.
SMEs are known to be the engine blocks in every economy and they boost the productivity profile in such economies. As an essential arm of the economy therefore, they need not to be neglected by any well meaning government. Governments at all levels are therefore enjoined to meaningfully engage their citizens to undertake their respective vocational training programmes and qualify in those chosen careers as tradesmen and tradewomen so that they can contribute positively to the economic well being and growth of the country.
It is worthy to mention that business partnership by the government and private business promoters will profit the state more and faster, if they see themselves as strategic partners committed to growing the economy based on mutual interests. The government, therefore, should take it as a duty to always promote such training schemes, by equipping more people (especially the growing number of youths), with skill acquisition. Thereafter, going further affords both sides the privileges and chances of teaming up as partners to achieve a common goal. Hence, the government’s strategy of public private partnership (PPP) delivery, through various human endeavours, to actualise critical capital projects and realizable economic goals in the economy. The strategy of the government to invest seed money in training the youths at various vocational centres at all levels of governance (local, state and federal) should be vigorously pursued because they optimistically position all the levels of government toward enjoying the benefits and fruits inherent in such PPP projects.
The economic attractiveness simply involves the seed money paid by the government in training the youngsters. As they operate under a well programmed value chain economic delivery system (as obtainable in advanced economies), they reap the gains of high productivity, sustained increase in economic growth and continuous development; and above all, indirectly actualize the desired economic goals at micro and macro levels in a win-win situation for all parties.
The economic policies of developing economies like Nigeria and other African nations, should not ignore or neglect the hidden power of public, private partnership initiatives for economic survival and freedom, anchored on vocational training schemes set up by every government for their youths. This is because it directly eradicates poverty at every level, and at the same time, profoundly promotes good governance in an administration’s performance rating.
