BY PATRICK MGBODO
TECHNICAL education in Delta State is on the brink of a breakthrough as the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is set to grant full accreditation to six technical colleges in the state.
The Head of the Technical Trade Division of the NBTE, Engr Bashir Datti, disclosed this when he visited the Delta State Commissioner for Technical Education, Hon Smart Ufoh, yesterday, in Asaba.
Engr Datti said the NBTE was in the state for an accreditation and resource inspection visitation, stressing that the team would assess the physical facilities of the technical colleges, which include classrooms, laboratories, studios, workshops, and offices.
He added that the team would also check the adequacy of human resources in the technical colleges, such as the core teaching staff, the technical teaching staff, and the service teaching staff. According to the NBTE Team Lead, other areas of evaluation across the technical colleges would include tools and equipment. ‘’Six of these technical colleges have been approved for accreditation. We were here in 2017 and now they (technical colleges) are due for certification and that is part of the reason we are here. ‘’Then, we have three that are about to begin teaching and learning activities and we would do resource inspection there. We will look at the resources that I earlier mentioned to know if they are adequate before we can recommend approval for them to commence, or otherwise’’ he said.
Datti further commended the Delta State Government for dedicating a ministry solely to technical education, even as he suggested that improving technical skills across the nation, as done in Delta, would hasten growth and development. He added that the NBTE would discuss with the state government the award of dual certificates in the technical colleges; the National Technical Certificate (NTC) and the National Skills Qualification (NSQ).
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Technical Education, Hon Smart Ufoh expressed the preparedness of the state government to receive the team of NBTE assessors and get its technical colleges accredited.
On what the accreditation means for the state, Hon Ufoh said, ‘’They (NBTE) will look at the necessary areas to determine if the technical colleges will be given the license/approval. The purpose of the accreditation is to ensure that the schools have the competence and tools to train students in technical education’’
