Aregbesola: Polytechnic graduates in the private sector should have an edge over those from universities

Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, says graduates of polytechnics should have an advantage over their counterparts from the university in the private sector.

According NAN, the minister disclosed this at a convocation lecture of the Lagos State Polytechnics (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, Lagos state, on Tuesday.

Aregbesola said by their original design, polytechnics are expected to prioritise practical and technical learning over theory-based system common in universities.

This, the former governor of Osun state, said should make polytechnic graduates more equipped with requisite skills to thrive in the labour market than those from the universities.

The minister, who spoke on “Infrastructural Deficit and Technological Development in Nigeria: The Role of Technical Education”, however, said it is unfortunate that the reverse has been the case.

“Polytechnics were established in Nigeria to provide technical and vocational skills at the middle level of manpower and they are to develop the real nation builders in all vocations, literally the bolt and nut of development,” he said.

“Graduates of polytechnics should have advantage over university graduates in the private sector because that are supposed to have received technical and vocational training. This is where the schools fail their graduates and is this basis of rejection”.

Aregbesola went on to fault claims by some polytechnics that their graduates are usually discriminated against by employers, adding that such show they have failed their mandates.

“Polytechnics complain that their graduates are discriminated by employers, this is self-indicting, employers, besides the public sector are rational actors,” he said.

He added that “the time has come to rethink seriously the polytechnic system in Nigeria by redefining the mission according to the Federal Polytechnics Act of 1979.”